Lazaridis defends decision to leave Independent Greeks, denies ND involvement

Giorgos Lazaridis, the independent MP who stepped down from Independent Greeks (ANEL) on Tuesday, reducing the governing coalition's majority to 152 lawmakers in the 300-seat House, has denied accusations that he was bribed into leaving the small right-wing party.

Rumors suggesting that his resignation was part of a plan orchestrated by opposition New Democracy to destabilize the government "has no bearing on reality," Lazaridis said in a television interview on Wednesday morning.

Speaking on Antenna TV, Lazaridis said that he stepped down when he did knowing that his resignation would not jeopardize Athens's negotiations with international creditors for Greece's exit from the bailout program.

"We made an agreement with SYRIZA in 2015 to get the country out of the memorandums," Lazaridis said, referring to the left-wing governing party of Prime Minister Alexis...