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Independent Greeks will oppose name deal in Parliament, Kammenos says

Independent Greeks will oppose name deal in Parliament, Kammenos says

Greece's governing coalition partner on Tuesday said that his nationalist Independent Greeks party would not back the name deal with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) if it comes to lawmakers for a vote.

“If this agreement reaches the point of coming to Greece’s Parliament we don’t have the popular mandate to continue to stay in the government,” Panos Kammenos, who is also defense minister, told a press conference at the Thessaloniki International Fair.

“My first proposal to the prime minister will be for the people to take a position with a referendum, the second for any discussion [on the issue] to be put off until after the end of our four-year term and the third to go to polls,” Kammenos said, suggesting that a rift in the coalition, which holds a slim majority in Parliament, over the name deal could lead to early elections.

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