Dimitris Kammenos

Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias on Tuesday dismissed claims by a former lawmaker of the junior government coalition partner that the government rushed to sign a deal with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) on its name on Sunday in the hope of securing a favorable agreement on debt relief at the next Eurogroup meeting.

Former Independent Greeks (ANEL) spokesperson Madalena Papadopoulou has resigned from the party over Greece's name deal with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

After more than two days of vehement debate in Parliament, the government on Saturday survived a no-confidence vote brought against it by the main opposition New Democracy party, but with one less MP.

Police said on Thursday that the car of Dimitris Kammenos, an MP and senior official of junior coalition partner Independent Greeks, has been stolen.

The car, which is the property of the Greek Parliament, had been parked in the garage of his home in Palaio Faliro, southern Athens, before it was stolen on Monday.

An MP of junior coalition partner Independent Greeks (ANEL), Costas Katsikis, sought on Wednesday to clarify that he was talking "hypothetically" when he proposed, in comments to Skai TV earlier in the day, exchanging the two Greek soldiers currently being detained in Turkey for the eight Turkish servicemen who fled to Greece in 2016 and whom Ankara wants extradited.

Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias is due to conduct a landmark visit to Skopje Thursday, amid signs that Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are edging closer to a solution on the latter's official name, though differences remain within the coalition in Athens over the issue.

UK ambassador to Greece Kate Smith voiced her strong opposition to the second furlough granted on Friday to November 17 hitman Dimitris Koufodinas.

In a message on Twitter the British diplomat wrote: "It's extremely disheartening to see an unrepentant convicted terrorist coming out of prison again."

Despite the government's insistence that it will not be swayed off course in its bid to find a solution to the long-standing name dispute between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), the mass demonstration on Sunday in Thessaloniki against a compromise came to highlight the growing cracks within the ruling coalition.

Dimitris Kammenos, an MP of Independent Greeks (ANEL), SYRIZA's right-wing coalition partner, has said he will not back a solution to Athens's name dispute with Skopje that contains the word "Macedonia."

During an interview with Antenna TV on Wednesday, Kammenos was asked if he would support in Parliament a solution that would include the term "Macedonia."

The leftist-led government's coalition partner, Independent Greeks (ANEL), will not back a solution to the ongoing name dispute with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) that contains the word "Macedonia," a lawmaker for the right-wing nationalist party said on Tuesday.