ATHENS, Greece — The Latest on the confidence vote in Greece (all times local):

Greece’s left-wing prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, has narrowly won a confidence vote in parliament days after the governing coalition collapsed.

Tsipras received the minimum 151 votes in Greece’s 300-seat legislature for his government to survive. His term ends in October.

The defence minister in Tsipras’ government who leads a small nationalist party, Panos Kammenos, quit the coalition last weekend over a proposed agreement with neighbouring Macedonia. The deal calls for the young country to be renamed North Macedonia in exchange for Greece no longer blocking its path to NATO membership.

Greek lawmakers are gearing up for a confidence vote in the left-wing government, which lost its parliamentary majority after its coalition partner walked out to protest a deal to normalize relations with neighbouring Macedonia.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is expected to narrowly survive the ballot at midnight Wednesday, backed by independent lawmakers and deputies from his former coalition partner who proposed to defy their party’s line.

Tsipras has strongly defended his efforts to end a 27-year dispute with Macedonia over the country’s name — which Greece says implies claims on its own province of Macedonia and on Greek cultural heritage.

Under the agreement, which Macedonia has already ratified, the country will be renamed North Macedonia, and Greece will lift its objections to the country joining NATO and the European Union.</s>ATHENS, Greece — The Latest on the confidence vote in Greece (all times local):

Greece's left-wing prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, has narrowly won a confidence vote in parliament days after the governing coalition collapsed.

Tsipras received the minimum 151 votes in Greece's 300-seat legislature for his government to survive. His term ends in October.

The defense minister in Tsipras' government who leads a small nationalist party, Panos Kammenos, quit the coalition last weekend over a proposed agreement with neighboring Macedonia. The deal calls for the young country to be renamed North Macedonia in exchange for Greece no longer blocking its path to NATO membership.

Greek lawmakers are gearing up for a confidence vote in the left-wing government, which lost its parliamentary majority after its coalition partner walked out to protest a deal to normalize relations with neighboring Macedonia.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is expected to narrowly survive the ballot at midnight Wednesday, backed by independent lawmakers and deputies from his former coalition partner who proposed to defy their party's line.

Tsipras has strongly defended his efforts to end a 27-year dispute with Macedonia over the country's name — which Greece says implies claims on its own province of Macedonia and on Greek cultural heritage.

Under the agreement, which Macedonia has already ratified, the country will be renamed North Macedonia, and Greece will lift its objections to the country joining NATO and the European Union.</s>Foreign auditors are to meet next week in Greece for a post-bailout review, with talks expected to focus on the enduring problems of Greek banks and their nonperforming loans, as well as taxation.

The catalyst for the challenge to Mr. Tsipras’s government was a proposal to rename the neighboring nation of Macedonia. Greece had long blocked Macedonia from joining NATO, insisting that the country’s name implied territorial claims to the Greek region called Macedonia.

Last year, the two nations signed an agreement for Macedonia to change its name to North Macedonia. The Macedonian Parliament approved the name change last week, and the Greek Parliament is to consider it in the coming days.

But the proposed change does not go far enough for many, including the Independent Greeks, who cited it in quitting the government. Thousands took to the streets of Athens and other cities to protest the deal last year, and a rally is planned on Sunday.

Some people have gone beyond protest. This week, a 63-year-old retired naval officer was arrested on charges of sending threatening messages to a government official over the Macedonia agreement.

Over the weekend, a top prosecutor launched an investigation into reports that several lawmakers had received threats warning them not to back the deal. And the police in northern Greece said on Wednesday that they had arrested four people over “wanted” posters targeting Greek lawmakers who support the name change.

Despite the upheaval, officials have expressed confidence that the Macedonia deal will pass with the support of opposition and independent lawmakers. But the outlook appeared unclear after the centrist party Potami, which had originally indicated it would back the pact, said it was reviewing its stance.</s>ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece's left-wing prime minister narrowly won a confidence vote in parliament late Wednesday days after the governing coalition he leads collapsed over an agreement to end a long-running dispute over neighboring Macedonia's name.

Lawmakers voted 151-148 on a motion called by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, giving his government the minimum it needed in the 300-seat legislature to survive. During a heated debate earlier in the day, Tsipras argued the Macedonia deal would bolster stability in Europe's Balkan region.

"At the critical times, we all must have a clear position," he said before the vote, which coincided with the one British leader Theresa May won over her Brexit deal with the European Union.

The leader of a small Greek nationalist party, Panos Kammenos, quit as defense minister in Tsipras' government last weekend over the proposed agreement with Macedonia. The deal calls for the country to be renamed North Macedonia in exchange for Greece lifting its objections to its young northern neighbor joining NATO and the European Union.

Several members of Kammenos' party voted to support the government. Along with independents and opposition dissenters, they gave the 44-year-old Tsipras six votes from outside his party, allowing him to remain in power. His term ends in October.

Greece's western allies also strongly back the deal Tsipras and Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev agreed to in June. Russia remains strongly opposed to the prospect of Macedonia's NATO membership.

Tsipras has strongly defended his efforts to end the 27-year dispute with Macedonia over that country's name, which Greece long argued implied designs on its own Macedonia and on Greek cultural heritage.

Tsipras had said he would seek to get the Greek parliament's approval of the name-change deal soon after the confidence vote.

Hardliners in both countries claim the deal conceded too much to the other side. But Greek government officials say they are optimistic the agreement will be ratified in Athens even though most opposition parties reject it.

In Greece, sentiment is particularly high in the northern Macedonia province, where opponents say their regional identity and heritage is being signed away. Posters have appeared in recent days with pictures of local lawmakers who back the deal and the caption: "Will you betray our Macedonia?"

Four people were arrested Wednesday over the posters in the northern towns of Grevena and Kozani and charged with breaching advertising laws and traffic codes.

Opponents of the name-change deal are planning a protest rally in Athens on Sunday.</s>The Greek government has survived a no-confidence vote with 151 MPs backing the SYRIZA-led government and 148 voting against PM Alexis Tsipras. The result is expected as the former ANEL MPs who said they would support the government did exactly that. The MPs that acted as a life-saver for SYRIZA are: Elena Kountoura, Vassilis Kokkalis, Thanasis Papachristopoulos, Kostas Zouraris, Katerina Papakostas (all from ANEL) and Spyros Danellis from the River party (Potami).

The Greek parliament gave a vote of confidence to the efforts of Greece to regain its international credibility, PM Alexis Tsipras said after the announce,net of the result.</s>Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras narrowly won a confidence vote in parliament on Wednesday, clearing a major hurdle for Greece’s approval of an accord to end a dispute over Macedonia’s name.

The single-vote majority secured by Mr Tsipras also averted the prospect of a snap election.

Mr Tsipras called the confidence motion after his right-wing coalition partner Panos Kammenos quit the government on January 13th in protest over the name deal signed between Athens and Skopje last year.

Parliament gave Mr Tsipras 151 votes, meeting the threshold required in the 300-member assembly. His leftist Syriza party has 145 seats in parliament while additional support was gleaned by defectors of Mr Kammenos’s Anel party and independents gave him six more votes.

“Today the Greek parliament gave a vote of confidence in stability,” Mr Tsipras told journalists moments after the vote. “We received a vote of confidence with our only concern to continue to address the needs and interests of the Greek people,”

Prior to the vote, he had called on deputies “with hand on heart” to “give a vote of confidence to the government which gave battle, which bled, but managed to haul the country out of memorandums and surveillance”.

This was a reference to Greece’s international lenders, who kept the country on a tight leash for years.

Greek opponents of the agreement say Macedonia’s new name – the Republic of North Macedonia – reached after decades of dispute between Athens and Skopje, represents an attempt to appropriate Greek identity.

Macedonia is the name of Greece’s biggest northern region. The deal was signed between the two countries in mid-2018, contingent on ratification of parliaments in both countries.

The deal is a necessary step for Macedonia to be considered for European Union and Nato membership.

An early election in Greece could have delayed reform implementation, privatisations and Greece’s efforts to return to bond markets. Mr Tsipras’ party is trailing by up to 12 points behind the main conservative New Democracy party, which opposed the Macedonia deal.

Last Friday Macedonia’s parliament passed an amendment to its constitution on Friday to rename the country Republic of North Macedonia, in line with its agreement with Greece.

Eighty one deputies in the 120-seat parliament voted in favour. Representatives of the opposition party, VMRO-DPMNE, who opposed the agreement with Greece, boycotted the vote.

“A new historical chapter in our statehood has been written this evening,” the Macedonian government said in a statement. “It makes absolutely plausible two of our biggest state interests – membership in Nato and EU.” – Reuters</s>The Latest on the confidence vote in Greece (all times local):

Greece's left-wing prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, has narrowly won a confidence vote in parliament days after the governing coalition collapsed.

Tsipras received the minimum 151 votes in Greece's 300-seat legislature for his government to survive. His term ends in October.

The defense minister in Tsipras' government who leads a small nationalist party, Panos Kammenos, quit the coalition last weekend over a proposed agreement with neighboring Macedonia. The deal calls for the young country to be renamed North Macedonia in exchange for Greece no longer blocking its path to NATO membership.

Greek lawmakers are gearing up for a confidence vote in the left-wing government, which lost its parliamentary majority after its coalition partner walked out to protest a deal to normalize relations with neighboring Macedonia.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is expected to narrowly survive the ballot at midnight Wednesday, backed by independent lawmakers and deputies from his former coalition partner who proposed to defy their party's line.

Tsipras has strongly defended his efforts to end a 27-year dispute with Macedonia over the country's name — which Greece says implies claims on its own province of Macedonia and on Greek cultural heritage.

Under the agreement, which Macedonia has already ratified, the country will be renamed North Macedonia, and Greece will lift its objections to the country joining NATO and the European Union.</s>The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The Latest on the confidence vote in Greece (all times local):

Greece’s left-wing prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, has narrowly won a confidence vote in parliament days after the governing coalition collapsed.

Tsipras received the minimum 151 votes in Greece’s 300-seat legislature for his government to survive. His term ends in October.

The defense minister in Tsipras’ government who leads a small nationalist party, Panos Kammenos, quit the coalition last weekend over a proposed agreement with neighboring Macedonia. The deal calls for the young country to be renamed North Macedonia in exchange for Greece no longer blocking its path to NATO membership.

Greek lawmakers are gearing up for a confidence vote in the left-wing government, which lost its parliamentary majority after its coalition partner walked out to protest a deal to normalize relations with neighboring Macedonia.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is expected to narrowly survive the ballot at midnight Wednesday, backed by independent lawmakers and deputies from his former coalition partner who proposed to defy their party’s line.

Tsipras has strongly defended his efforts to end a 27-year dispute with Macedonia over the country’s name — which Greece says implies claims on its own province of Macedonia and on Greek cultural heritage.

Under the agreement, which Macedonia has already ratified, the country will be renamed North Macedonia, and Greece will lift its objections to the country joining NATO and the European Union.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.</s>Greece’s left-wing prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, has narrowly won a confidence vote in parliament days after the governing coalition collapsed.

Mr Tsipras received the minimum 151 votes in Greece’s 300-seat legislature for his government to survive.

Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras, centre, claps hands with other members of the government after the announcement of the confidence vote results (Petros Giannakouris/AP)

The defence minister in Mr Tsipras’ government who leads a small nationalist party, Panos Kammenos, quit the coalition last weekend over a proposed agreement with neighbouring Macedonia.

The deal calls for the young country to be renamed North Macedonia in exchange for Greece no longer blocking its path to Nato membership.</s>Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras narrowly won a confidence vote in parliament on Wednesday, clearing a major hurdle for Greece’s approval of an accord to end a dispute over Macedonia’s name.

The single-vote majority secured by Mr Tsipras also averted the prospect of a snap election.

Mr Tsipras called the confidence motion after his right-wing coalition partner Panos Kammenos quit the government on January 13th in protest over the name deal signed between Athens and Skopje last year.

Parliament gave Mr Tsipras 151 votes, meeting the threshold required in the 300-member assembly. His leftist Syriza party has 145 seats in parliament while additional support was gleaned by defectors of Mr Kammenos’s Anel party and independents gave him six more votes.

“Today the Greek parliament gave a vote of confidence in stability,” Mr Tsipras told journalists moments after the vote. “We received a vote of confidence with our only concern to continue to address the needs and interests of the Greek people,”

Prior to the vote, he had called on deputies “with hand on heart” to “give a vote of confidence to the government which gave battle, which bled, but managed to haul the country out of memorandums and surveillance”.

This was a reference to Greece’s international lenders, who kept the country on a tight leash for years.

Greek opponents of the agreement say Macedonia’s new name – the Republic of North Macedonia – reached after decades of dispute between Athens and Skopje, represents an attempt to appropriate Greek identity.

Macedonia is the name of Greece’s biggest northern region. The deal was signed between the two countries in mid-2018, contingent on ratification of parliaments in both countries.

The deal is a necessary step for Macedonia to be considered for European Union and Nato membership.

An early election in Greece could have delayed reform implementation, privatisations and Greece’s efforts to return to bond markets. Mr Tsipras’ party is trailing by up to 12 points behind the main conservative New Democracy party, which opposed the Macedonia deal.

Last Friday Macedonia’s parliament passed an amendment to its constitution on Friday to rename the country Republic of North Macedonia, in line with its agreement with Greece.

Eighty one deputies in the 120-seat parliament voted in favour. Representatives of the opposition party, VMRO-DPMNE, who opposed the agreement with Greece, boycotted the vote.

“A new historical chapter in our statehood has been written this evening,” the Macedonian government said in a statement. “It makes absolutely plausible two of our biggest state interests – membership in Nato and EU.” – Reuters
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras survives a no-confidence vote after the Independent Greeks party quit the ruling coalition.