Question on assisted suicide hints at more gov't strife

The delayed response by Justice Minister Stavros Kontonis last week to a question regarding the government's position on assisted suicide may signal more strife to come within the ranks of the coalition government.

Ruling SYRIZA has already sorely tested its junior coalition partner's support on a range of issues - most recently a law allowing people to choose what gender they want to officially identify as - that have underscored the massive ideological divide between the leftists and ultraconservative Independent Greeks.

Kontonis responded in writing to a question posed on March 20 by Giorgos Armyras, a lawmaker with centrist To Potami, on whether the government is considering the legalization of assisted suicide or euthanasia.

In the missive, which can only be described as a vague response to the question, Kontonis describes a lengthy consultative procedure...