In a recorded interview, the minister referred to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia by calling it simply Macedonia. Although virtually everywhere in the rest of the world the neighboring country is called Macedonia, the name is always avoided in any form of public discourse in Greece. The two countries have always held a dispute over the name since the Greek side maintains that the use of the term Macedonia is an effort to appropriate the history of ancient Macedonia while FYROM only occupies a small portion of the grounds which were once Macedonia, the realm of Alexander the Great.
Mr.Mouzalas has held one of the most difficult government posts in recent years as the refugee crisis has fired up, flooding the country with thousands of desperate people who come in to Greece in an effort to cross over to central Europe.
Regardless of the acceptance or rejection of the resignation, this latest incident is bound to create friction between the two members of the coalition which was formed for the second time in order to form a Greek government. The major party SYRIZA identifies itself as left wing, while the junior, ANEL belongs to the right wing with highly nationalistic rhetoric. The coalition has always been a “marriage of convenience” but this trivial difference could be reason enough to make the two sides revise their coalition. On the other hand, the two parties have proven time and again that their will to stay in power is an incentive strong enough to make them oversee major political and ideological differences.
At the same time, 18 MPs belonging to the main opposition party of N.Democracy have submitted a formal letter where they ask for the resignation of the minister who made a statement which is bound to be harmful for Greece's assertions. It should be noted that it was the very father of the leader of ND, when he was a Prime Minister of Greece during the '90s, who tried to persuade the Greek populace that the, then reactions over the chosen name of Former Yugoslavia are trivial. His son, the current president of ND stated that the resignation of Mr.Mouzalas is absolutely necessary.
The two lesser, centre parties of PASOK and POTAMI maintain that the whole incident is a trivial one which should not lead the country into another crisis at such difficult times.
According to sources the resignation of the Minister will be accepted right after the end of the crucial EuroSummit on the refugee crisis which will begin in Brussels on Thursday.
C.N.