Alexis Tsipras makes two references in his book to his governmental partner, Panos Kammenos. The first concerns the negotiations that took place before the SYRIZA-ANEL government was formed, where, according to information, the former prime minister mentions that Panos Kammenos asked for no compensation in order to support the SYRIZA government, unlike Fofi Gennimata and Stavros Theodorakis, who set specific conditions to collaborate with Alexis Tsipras.
The second reference to Kammenos in Tsipras’ book
The second reference relates to the quarrel that occurred in the Cabinet on October 17, 2018 between Panos Kammenos and the then Foreign Minister, Nikos Kotzias, resulting in the latter’s departure from the government. The quarrel between the two officials of the Tsipras government had taken on personal characteristics, with the Defense Minister making insinuations about mismanagement of the Foreign Ministry’s secret funds, as well as about Soros’ role in Skopje in favor of the Prespa Agreement, with Nikos Kotzias counterattacking and demanding an audit of the Defense Ministry’s funds.
The former prime minister could not take sides in favor of the Foreign Minister, as this could have led to the government’s fall. Indeed, according to reports from that time, Alexis Tsipras had asked the Cabinet for a commitment “that no government member will align themselves with the efforts of the Right and Far-Right to overthrow the government, ostensibly over the name issue, but with the real reason being the attempt to overturn our effort to rebuild the economy, support society and accelerate the processes of purification.”
However, it remains unknown whether Alexis Tsipras refers to the information suggesting that one day before the Cabinet meeting, he had met with his governmental partner at the Officers’ Club, where their agreement was renewed to prevent the government’s fall before March.
Published in Parapolitika
