Protesters demonstrate against the agreement between Greece and Macedonia over dispute of the former Yugoslav's republic name, outside the Greek Parliament, in Athens, Friday, June 15, 2017. The prime ministers of Greece and its northern neighbor, Macedonia, agreed Tuesday that the former Yugoslav republic should be renamed North Macedonia.(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Protesters demonstrate against the agreement between Greece and Macedonia over dispute of the former Yugoslav's republic name, outside the Greek Parliament, in Athens, Friday, June 15, 2017. The prime ministers of Greece and its northern neighbor, Macedonia, agreed Tuesday that the former Yugoslav republic should be renamed North Macedonia.(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The Latest on a no-confidence vote in the Greek parliament (all times local):

10:15 p.m.

Greek lawmakers have rejected a no-confidence motion in the government brought by the main opposition party over a deal to change the name of Macedonia and end a decades-old dispute with Greece’s northern neighbor.

Lawmakers voted 153-127 in the 300-member parliament Saturday against the motion to oust the left-led government over the deal renaming the former Yugoslav republic North Macedonia.

One lawmaker from the government’s junior coalition partner, the nationalist Independent Greeks, voted in favor of the move. The party is a vociferous critic of the name deal. The party’s leader, Defense Minister Panos Kammenos, kicked the lawmaker out of the party.

The deal aims to end a dispute that has roiled the two countries’ relations since Macedonia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.

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5 p.m.

Greece’s main opposition leader urged lawmakers Saturday to support his no-confidence vote against the government over a deal to end a decades-old dispute with neighboring Macedonia over the latter’s name.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ left-led coalition government is expected to survive the vote, set for later Saturday. His government controls 154 of parliament’s 300 seats. The nationalist party that is a junior coalition partner says it will reject the motion despite vehemently opposing the name deal that Tsipras reached with his Macedonian counterpart.

“Today you are all mortgaging the future of the country,” said conservative New Democracy party leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who brought the no-confidence motion.

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11:30 a.m.

Greek lawmakers are debating for the final day a no-confidence motion against the government over a deal to end a decades-old dispute with neighboring Macedonia over the latter’s name.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ left-led coalition government is expected to survive Saturday’s vote. His government controls 154 of parliament’s 300 seats, and the nationalist party that is a junior coalition partner says it will reject the motion despite opposing the agreement Tsipras reached with his Macedonian counterpart.

Tsipras and Macedonia’s Zoran Zaev settled on a deal Tuesday that would rename Greece’s northern neighbor North Macedonia, while Athens would drop its objections to the country joining NATO and the European Union.

Hardliners in both countries are furious at the deal, which they consider concedes too much to the other side</s>Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras fended off a no-confidence vote Saturday night, after receiving the backing of his main coalition ally.

The motion was put forward by main opposition party New Democracy to “highlight differences” in the ruling coalition following a deal struck by Tsipras and his Macedonian counterpart on Tuesday to end a decades-old feud over the name of Greece’s northern neighbor, Ekathimerini reported.

The European Union, the United Nations, the U.S. and NATO all welcomed the agreement, which changes the country’s name to the Republic of North Macedonia and is likely to facilitate the Balkan nation’s bid for EU and NATO membership.

Tsipras — whose coalition commands 154 of the parliament’s 300 seats — was widely expected to survive the vote, after his coalition partner, Independent Greeks, vowed to support him despite its opposition to the Macedonia deal and its pledge to vote against the agreement when it is put to a vote later this year.

One government MP was expelled from the ruling party for backing the motion.

Opposition party New Democracy has called the deal “harmful” for Greek interests. Hardliners in both countries have also attacked the agreement, which they claim makes too many concessions to the other side.

The two countries’ foreign ministers are due to meet Sunday to sign the accord. But both countries must win parliamentary approval before it can go into effect. Skopje is expected to ratify the agreement and then seek voters’ approval in a referendum in September, with Greece to put the deal to a vote in parliament soon after. Macedonia’s nationalist President Gjorge Ivanov has said he will veto the vote if parliament approves it.

Ultimately, the road for Macedonia to become an EU member is still long and complicated. The bloc’s potential enlargement will be discussed at the upcoming European Council at the end of June, where EU members are split between two camps: those who favor enlargement and those who, like France and the Netherlands, want to postpone discussions over new members until after Brexit and European Parliament elections next year.

Read this next: Angela Merkel calls for ‘European solution’ on migration</s>Greece's government has survived a no-confidence vote over a deal to end a bitter decades-long name dispute with its northern neighbour which called itself Macedonia at the break-up of the former Yugoslavia.

Parliamentarians voted 153-127 to keep Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras's administration in place.

The coalition government, led by left-wing Syriza, needed at least 151 of its 154 members of parliament to vote against the proposal.

The coalition's junior partner - the Independent Greeks (ANEL), a right-wing party - says it opposes the deal but only one of its MPs backed the censure motion in parliament. Panos Kammenos, leader of ANEL and defence minister, subsequently kicked the lawmaker out of the party.

The motion was brought by the conservative New Democracy party which accused the government of making too many concessions over the agreement which will eventually see the small country - which declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 - renamed the Republic of North Macedonia.

"Today, you are all mortgaging the future of the country," Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the New Democracy leader, told parliament ahead of the vote.

Addressing Tsipras, Mitsotakis added: "You will be the prime minister to say 'Yes' to everything your predecessors said 'No.'"

In response, Tsipras accused Mitsotakis of political opportunism and "of being hostage of the far-right wing of your party".

Talking about the deal, Tsipras described it as good, adding "that any Greek prime minister after 1995 and the interim agreement would like to have on the table."

"It not only includes a compound name with a geographic qualifier, used erga omnes, but also sets as a condition a change of the constitutional name by which the country has been recognised by 140 countries. It includes a constitutional change to eradicate every irredentist term in their constitution," Tsipras pointed out.

Outside the parliament building in the capital, Athens, police earlier fired teargas as thousands protested against the deal.

The parliament debate, which stated on Thursday, was marred by a rant by an MP of the far-right Golden Dawn party on Friday who urged the army to arrest Tsipras, Kammenos and President Prokopis Pavlopoulos because of the agreement.

The deal to rename Greece's northern neighbour North Macedonia was announced on Tuesday by the prime ministers of the two countries after six months of talks to end the 26-year standoff.

Greece has long objected to the former Yugoslav state calling itself Republic of Macedonia, which it said implied territorial aspirations on its northern region of the same name.

Since the fall of communism, Greeks have called the country to their north Skopje, after its capital city, and its people and their language as Skopjan.

The New Democracy party said the deal brokered by Tsipras and his counterpart, Zoran Zaev, is "opposed by the overwhelming majority of Greek people".

In Skopje, there has also been a heavy backlash against the agreement, with the president declaring his refusal to sign off on the deal. The agreement must clear the hurdles of parliamentary ratification, a referendum in September and a constitutional amendment.

In Athens, the deal only faces ratification in parliament once Skopje has completed its part of the process.

ANEL says it will not support it when it comes up for ratification in parliament. That would leave Tsipras dependent on opposition parties to pass the measure.

Under the agreement, which is tentatively scheduled to be signed on Sunday, the country's Macedonian language and nationality is sanctioned, albeit with the proviso that they are of Slav, not ancient Greek, origin.

North Macedonia would agree that its "official language and other attributes … are not related to the ancient Hellenic civilisation, history, culture and heritage of the northern region of [Greece] " and would make constitutional changes to remove claims on Greek soil.</s>Greece's left-led coalition government survived a no-confidence vote in parliament Saturday brought over a deal to end a decades-old dispute with neighboring Macedonia concerning the latter's name.

But the government suffered a loss in its parliamentary majority after lawmaker Dimitris Kammenos of the nationalist Independent Greeks, the government's junior coalition partner, voted in favor. He was kicked out of the party immediately after the vote, leaving the governing coalition with a three-member majority.

Lawmakers voted 153-127 in the 300-member parliament against the motion brought by the conservative main opposition party over the deal to rename the former Yugoslav republic North Macedonia. In the agreement, Athens would drop its objections to the country joining NATO and the European Union.

Thousands of protesters rallied outside parliament during the debate, waving Greek flags and chanting anti-government slogans. Scuffles broke out, with riot police firing tear gas to stop protesters from breaching police lines.

The deal reached by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and his Macedonian counterpart Zoran Zaev on Tuesday aims to end a bitter dispute that has roiled the two countries' relations since shortly after Macedonia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.

Greece argued the term "Macedonia" implied territorial claims on its province of the same name, which is the birthplace of the ancient warrior king Alexander the Great, and usurped its ancient Greek heritage and history.

The deal was met with fury by critics in both countries, who accuse their respective prime ministers of conceding too much.

"Hatred toward the country of another is not patriotism," Tsipras said during his speech in parliament.

The agreement will be signed Sunday morning by the two nations' foreign ministers at Lake Prespa near their common border. Both prime ministers will attend the ceremony, as will European officials. Protests have been called in both countries.

Speaking during the debate, Defense Minister and Independent Greeks head Panos Kammenos stressed that voting against the no-confidence motion was not a vote in favor of the Macedonia name deal, which he vowed to reject when it is eventually brought to parliament.

Tsipras stressed the deal met all of Greece's demands and would close "the open wound that has been troubling our country for more than 26 years."

Conservative New Democracy party leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who had brought the no-confidence motion, argued that a vote in favor of the government was a vote in favor of the name deal.

"Today you are all mortgaging the future of the country," he told lawmakers.

Across the border, Zaev has also met with opposition, with President Gjorge Ivanov saying he will not sign off on the agreement. Zaev has said he will put it to a referendum in the fall.

"With the signing of the agreement between Macedonia and Greece, everyone will benefit," Zaev said Saturday.

Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov stressed the deal would pave the way for NATO and EU accession.

"We have forces that are fighting for the future, we have forces that are fighting for the past," Dimitrov said in Skopje. "We cannot change the past, we could the future."

The ratification process will take months.

In Macedonia, the agreement must clear the hurdles of parliamentary ratification, a referendum and a constitutional amendment. If Ivanov refuses to sign off on the deal, it will be sent back to parliament for a second vote. If it passes again, the president must sign it.

In Greece, the deal faces ratification in parliament only after Macedonia has completed its part of the process.</s>ATHENS — Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras survived a no-confidence motion in parliament on Saturday, setting the stage for the signing of a historic accord with neighboring Macedonia to settle a long dispute over the latter's name.

The motion brought by the opposition New Democracy party was rejected by 153 MPs, with 127 in favor. Political opponents had accused Tsipras of making too many concessions over the deal, due to be signed on Sunday.

Thousands of Greeks protested outside parliament against the accord with Macedonia, calling for Tsipras to resign. Police used stun grenades and tear gas to prevent them from entering the building.

"This is a deal I believe that every Greek prime minister would want," Tsipras told the chamber earlier.

Had he lost, the leftist elected in 2015 would have had to relinquish his mandate to the country's president, signaling early elections. He is already trailing center-right New Democracy in opinion polls.

Greece had been in dispute with Macedonia since 1991 over the former Yugoslav republic's name, arguing it could imply territorial claims over the Greek province of Macedonia and an appropriation of ancient Greek culture and civilization.

The subject is a deeply emotional one for many Greeks. On Saturday, protesters outside the parliament building shouted "traitor, traitor!" as lawmakers debated inside.

"I'm just furious," said Theologos Ambotis, 69, a monk. "Conceding on the name is conceding on territory. Macedonia and Alexander the Great is Greek history and culture, and they are just giving it away to Skopje."

Under the terms of the accord, the country will be known as "Republic of North Macedonia" and Greece will lift its objections to the renamed nation joining the European Union and the NATO military alliance.

Greek foreign minister Nikos Kotzias and his Macedonian counterpart Nikola Dimitrov will sign the pact in the border lake region of Prespes on Sunday morning. Tsipras and Macedonian premier Zoran Zaev will also be present.

It will require ratification by both national parliaments and approval in a Macedonian referendum, which is not assured.

The president of Macedonia has said he will not endorse the pact, while in Greece, Tsipras's right-wing coalition partners have said their lawmakers will reject it when it is brought for ratification. That is expected to occur by the end of the year.</s>The fallout from the “North Macedonia” deal continues to pick up strength, as both sides begin to question the merits of the “solution” worked out by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and his northern FYROM counterpart Zoran Zaev.

Greek lawmakers are debating a no-confidence motion in the government brought by the main New Democracy opposition party over a name dispute deal which ends up recognizing a Macedonian language, a people known as Macedonians, and citizens belonging to a country with the term “Macedonia.”

The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Hellenic Insider Editor-in-Chief Michael Nevradakis break down the dangerous deal made by Greek PM Alexis Tsipras, and how the government and citizens of FYROM may actually be the ones that save Greece’s historical heritage.

DONATE Send us €20 or more and we'll send you The Duran mug absolutely FREE - we'll even cover the shipping! Will you help expose the lies of the mainstream media? As a reader of The Duran, you are well aware of all the propaganda and disinformation reported by the mainstream media. You know how important it is to bring real news to light. Please support The Duran and help us keep reporting on news that is fair, balanced, and real.</s>Athens, June 17 (IANS) – Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras survived a no-confidence vote on Saturday that was presented by conservative members of Parliament to protest the deal reached with Skopje regarding the future name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

The no-confidence motion, which required a 151-vote majority, received the support of 127 out of the 280 lawmakers who were present (of a total of 300 members of Parliament), while 153 lawmakers from the governing coalition voted against it, reports Efe.

A member of the nationalist Independent Greeks party (ANEL), which is part of the governing coalition, voted for the motion and was immediately expelled from his parliamentary group.

Tsipras accused the opposition of wanting to “open Pandora’s box” and of “legitimizing” extreme nationalism with the sole purpose of seeing his government fall.

On Tuesday, Tsipras reached a deal with his Macedonian counterpart Zoran Zaev to end a decades-long dispute regarding the future name of the FYROM.

According to the agreement, which will be signed on Sunday although it must then win parliamentary approval in the two countries, the FYROM will be renamed the Republic of North Macedonia.

The no-confidence motion was presented by the conservative New Democracy party with the argument that the government could not sign the agreement with Skopje without Parliament’s approval.

The head of New Democracy, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, criticized Tsipras for not having sought out a consensus with the other political parties, including with ANEL, and called on lawmakers who were against the agreement to vote for the no-confidence motion.

Tsipras responded saying Mitsotakis “is not interested in improving the international standing of our country, nor in an economic recovery, nor in restructuring the debt. The only thing he wants is this government to fall.”</s>The Latest on a no-confidence vote in the Greek parliament (all times local):

Greek lawmakers have rejected a no-confidence motion in the government brought by the main opposition party over a deal to change the name of Macedonia and end a decades-old dispute with Greece’s northern neighbor.

Lawmakers voted 153-127 in the 300-member parliament Saturday against the motion to oust the left-led government over the deal renaming the former Yugoslav republic North Macedonia.

One lawmaker from the government’s junior coalition partner, the nationalist Independent Greeks, voted in favor of the move. The party is a vociferous critic of the name deal. The party’s leader, Defense Minister Panos Kammenos, kicked the lawmaker out of the party.

The deal aims to end a dispute that has roiled the two countries’ relations since Macedonia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.

Greece’s main opposition leader urged lawmakers Saturday to support his no-confidence vote against the government over a deal to end a decades-old dispute with neighboring Macedonia over the latter’s name.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ left-led coalition government is expected to survive the vote, set for later Saturday. His government controls 154 of parliament’s 300 seats. The nationalist party that is a junior coalition partner says it will reject the motion despite vehemently opposing the name deal that Tsipras reached with his Macedonian counterpart.

“Today you are all mortgaging the future of the country,” said conservative New Democracy party leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who brought the no-confidence motion.

Greek lawmakers are debating for the final day a no-confidence motion against the government over a deal to end a decades-old dispute with neighboring Macedonia over the latter’s name.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ left-led coalition government is expected to survive Saturday’s vote. His government controls 154 of parliament’s 300 seats, and the nationalist party that is a junior coalition partner says it will reject the motion despite opposing the agreement Tsipras reached with his Macedonian counterpart.

Tsipras and Macedonia’s Zoran Zaev settled on a deal Tuesday that would rename Greece’s northern neighbor North Macedonia, while Athens would drop its objections to the country joining NATO and the European Union.

Hardliners in both countries are furious at the deal, which they consider concedes too much to the other side</s>Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras survived a no-confidence motion in Parliament, brought over a deal to end a decades-old dispute with neighbouring Macedonia concerning the latter's name.

The motion, brought by the opposition New Democracy party, was rejected by 153 MPs, with 127 in favour.

But the Government suffered a loss in its parliamentary majority after MP Dimitris Kammenos of the nationalist Independent Greeks, the Government's junior coalition partner, voted in favour.

He was kicked out of the party immediately after the vote, leaving the governing coalition with a three-member majority.

Political opponents had accused Mr Tsipras of making too many concessions over the deal to rename the former Yugoslav republic North Macedonia, due to be signed on Sunday.

Thousands of Greeks protested outside Parliament against the accord with Macedonia, waving Greek flags and chanting anti-government slogans, calling for Mr Tsipras to resign.

Scuffles broke out and police used stun grenades and tear gas to prevent them from entering the building. There was one arrest.

Had he lost, the leftist elected in 2015 would have had to relinquish his mandate to the country's president, signalling early elections.

He is already trailing centre-right New Democracy in opinion polls.

The deal reached by the Greek Prime Minister and his Macedonian counterpart Zoran Zaev on Tuesday aims to end a bitter dispute that has roiled the two countries' relations since Macedonia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.

Greece argued the term "Macedonia" implied territorial claims on its province of the same name, which is the birthplace of the ancient warrior king Alexander the Great, and usurped its ancient Greek heritage and history.

The deal was met with fury by critics in both countries, who accuse their respective prime ministers of conceding too much.

On Saturday, protesters outside the Parliament building shouted "traitor, traitor!" as lawmakers debated inside.

"Conceding on the name is conceding on territory. Macedonia and Alexander the Great is Greek history and culture, and they are just giving it away to Skopje." he said.

Under the terms of the accord, the country will be known as Republic of North Macedonia and Greece will lift its objections to the renamed nation joining the European Union and the NATO military alliance.

Accord to be signed on Sunday

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias and his Macedonian counterpart Nikola Dimitrov will sign the pact in the border lake region of Prespes on Sunday morning.

Mr Tsipras and Mr Zaev will also be present.

It will require ratification by both national parliaments and approval in a Macedonian referendum, which is not assured.

The President of Macedonia has said he will not endorse the pact, while in Greece, Mr Tsipras's right-wing coalition partners have said their politicians will reject it when it is brought for ratification. That is expected to occur by the end of the year.

Protests were scheduled on both sides of the border on Sunday.</s>Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras survived a no-confidence motion in parliament on Saturday, setting the stage for the signing of a historic accord with neighbouring Macedonia to settle a long dispute over the latter's name.

The motion brought by the opposition New Democracy party was rejected by 153 MPs, with 127 in favour. Political opponents had accused Tsipras of making too many concessions over the deal, due to be signed on Sunday.

Thousands of Greeks protested outside parliament against the accord with Macedonia, calling for Tsipras to resign. Police used stun grenades and tear gas to prevent them from entering the building.

"This is a deal I believe that every Greek prime minister would want," Tsipras told the chamber earlier.

Had he lost, the leftist elected in 2015 would have had to relinquish his mandate to the country's president, signalling early elections. He is already trailing centre-right New Democracy in opinion polls.

Greece had been in dispute with Macedonia since 1991 over the former Yugoslav republic's name, arguing it could imply territorial claims over the Greek province of Macedonia and an appropriation of ancient Greek culture and civilization.

The subject is a deeply emotional one for many Greeks. On Saturday, protesters outside the parliament building shouted "traitor, traitor!" as lawmakers debated inside.

"I'm just furious," said Theologos Ambotis, 69, a monk. "Conceding on the name is conceding on territory. Macedonia and Alexander the Great is Greek history and culture, and they are just giving it away to Skopje."

Under the terms of the accord, the country will be known as "Republic of North Macedonia" and Greece will lift its objections to the renamed nation joining the European Union and the NATO military alliance.

Greek foreign minister Nikos Kotzias and his Macedonian counterpart Nikola Dimitrov will sign the pact in the border lake region of Prespes on Sunday morning. Tsipras and Macedonian premier Zoran Zaev will also be present.

It will require ratification by both national parliaments and approval in a Macedonian referendum, which is not assured.

The president of Macedonia has said he will not endorse the pact, while in Greece, Tsipras's right-wing coalition partners have said their lawmakers will reject it when it is brought for ratification. That is expected to occur by the end of the year.

Protests were scheduled on both sides of the border on Sunday.

One lawmaker with the right-wing Independent Greeks, Tsipras's coalition partner, sided with New Democracy on the motion, bringing applause from opposition politicians. He was promptly expelled by the party's leader.

The expulsion brings Tsipras's majority in parliament to 153 MPs out of a total in the chamber of 300.

New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis called the accord an affront, and the Tsipras government a 'nightmare'.

"This government should go before it does more damage, this time national damage," he said.
The coalition government of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras survives a vote of no-confidence brought by the opposition party over a deal to end the dispute.