SYRIZA-ANEL rift widens

The already tense relations between the two coalition partners in the Greek government, left SYRIZA and right populist ANEL are on shakier grounds than ever. ANEL leader Panos Kammenos has not officially changed his views on the resignation of Alternate Minister on Migration Ioannis Mouzalas on the ‘Macedonian’ name matter, while the rift between the two parties widened even further when ANEL MP Dimitris Kammenos (no relation to party President) blasted SYRIZA Education Minister Nikos Filis over the latter’s message on the March 25 Greek Independence Day message, calling him unhistorical and provocative. The government was surprised by the new attack from a coalition MP, after it had hoped the previous crisis over the Mouzalas matter had been contained. Pundits wonder whether the new outburst against a SYRIZA Minister is just an isolated incident by an individual MP, or it is part of a wider strategy by the junior ANEL party against SYRIZA in a effort to differentiate its policies to those of left wing SYRIZA and galvanise its base supporters in light of waning poll numbers. ANEL MP Dimitris Kammenos had been harshly critical of Nikos Filis’s statement on occasion of the Greek Independence Day celebrations where Kammenos accused the Minister of ‘falsifying history’ and that he would be soon be publishing historical books reflecting his own personal opinions. The two partners are indeed an ‘odd couple’, as their ideological views on issues like history, Greek national interests and foreign policy, along with religion and education could not be more apart.