Dimitris Tzanakopoulos

Eleven independent MPs who broke away from main opposition SYRIZA in recent weeks have agreed to form a new parliamentary group, the name of which will be announced on Monday. 

Chairman of the group is Alexis Haritsis, while Euclides Tsakalotos and Nasos Iliopoulos are the parliamentary representatives. Peti Perka is secretary.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis hailed the election of Katerina Sakellaropoulou as Greece's new president on Wednesday saying that the figure, a former top judge, symbolized "the country's transition to a new era."

A parliamentary committee probing possible political interference in the Novartis investigation started examining a key witness on Tuesday after two SYRIZA MPs who have been barred from the committee, and disrupted it last week, stayed away. 

A parliamentary committee tasked with probing possible political interference in the Novartis investigation was forced to cancel a planned session on Thursday after two leftist SYRIZA MPs who had been barred from the panel turned up and refused to leave. 

The special parliamentary committee tasked with probing the judicial handling of the Novartis affair cancelled its session on Thursday after two opposition MPs who had been barred from the panel turned up.

The leader of the main opposition Alexis Tsipras said on Monday he will not replace the two SYRIZA lawmakers who were removed from a parliamentary panel probing alleged meddling by former alternate justice minister Dimitris Papangelopoulos in the Novartis investigation.

Opposition SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras has sent a new letter of complaint to Parliamentary spokesman Konstantinos Tasoulas over the special committee investigating the handling of the Novartis bribery probe, sources said on Monday.

Political tensions intensified on Friday after Parliament Speaker Konstantinos Tasoulas rejected a complaint by SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras over the exemption of leftist MPs Pavlos Polakis and Dimitris Tzanakopoulos from a House committee probing alleged meddling by former alternate justice minister Dimitris Papangelopoulos in the Novartis investigation.

Parliament Speaker Konstantinos Tasoulas announced on Friday that a House committee probing alleged meddling by former alternate justice minister Dimitris Papangelopoulos in the Novartis investigation will not meet next Tuesday, as it was planned, to allow time for main opposition leader Alexis Tsipras to select the replacements for the two party MPs who were ejected this week.

Political tensions over the Novartis investigation simmered on Wednesday after former premier and SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras wrote to Parliament Speaker Konstantinos Tasoulas to complain about the exemption of leftist MPs Pavlos Polakis and Dimitris Tzanakopoulos from a House committee probing alleged meddling in the investigation.