Spectre of Indignados haunting government

SYRIZA and Independent Greeks MPs are confronted daily with the indignation of citizens over the Greece-FYROM agreement signed at Prespes.

Just a few days after the signing of the agreement, a number of MPs that support the government are being repudiated by citizens, whom the MPs in turn dub “far-rightists”.

In some instances, the protests are from their former voters who believe  – especially in the case of the Independent Greeks – that they have changed course and trampled on their ideology in order to hold on to their public office.

There are now daily incidents of “indignados” fiercely denouncing government MPs . The days when they were saying that they can walk around freely because the public supports them seem to be gone for good.

The most recent incident in Serres reflects the magnitude of disaffection felt by a segment of society over the agreement signed in Prespes.

During a protest Marc h in Serres, citizens were proclaiming their opposition to the accord with slogans about the Greek character of Macedonia, and against the government.

Protesters hurled insults at SYRIZA MP Aphrodite Stambouli and Independent Greeks MP Maria Kollia Tsaroucha.

Previously, there had been heckling at Justice Minister Stavros Kontonis and at MP Theodora Tzakri, in Giannitsa, on 19 June. The same happened to SYRIZA MP Nikos Papadopoulos in Larisa, and to Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura in Chania, Crete, at the Independent Greeks’ offices.

The tsunami of protests has raised heightened concerns among government  MPs, as they fear that such incidents may increase in the near future.

The panic prevailing in the government was evidenced during Panos Kammenos’ news conference yesterday. He convened his parliamentary group in an effort to rally his MPs. He said that, “MPs and cadres of the Independent Greeks have received threats in order to force them to leave the party.”