By Penelope Galliou

The intensifying attitude of Antonis Samaras towards the government’s policy after the new spikes he launched for the country’s foreign policy, openly differentiating itself, is still causing concern and discomfort in the Maximos Palace.

Following the ex-prime minister’s escalating opposition tactics towards government policy, especially since the European elections, his initial treatment Megaros Maximosto avoid commenting on the substance, but to content himself with the fact that former prime ministers have “an unlimited right to express an opinion, but this does not mean that I always agree with it” as Kyriakos Mitsotakis had stated during the TIF press conference, it seems that he is changing .

Proof is the attitude of the government representative to respond during the briefing of the political editors on the essence of the points of Antonis Samaras. “I would like to answer starting with a rhetorical question if there is even half a statement by a government official that even implies concession. There is not a moment when both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and I personally, representing the government, do not emphasize that we are never going to put sovereignty issues on the table,” Mr. Marinakis emphasized, repeating the government’s red lines and leaving no room for other interpretations. .

The heavy expressions of Antonis Samaras such as: “The “calm waters”, when they lead to the silent acceptance of what has been done, always bring huge storms”, with which the former prime minister once again – in a short period of time – stood against the government with what he said in his speech in Nicosia, about the manipulations in Greek-Turkish and Cypriot, they poured more water into the mill of the blue introverts. In fact, government officials from the first moment rushed to refute him to their interlocutors, stressing that “of course none of this is true”. Another leading executive stated that the reality in the Greek positions is one “and we must stick to it. Greece is not going to back down regarding its sovereign rights and we have made that clear,” he noted.

The same discomfort was caused by his reports Antonis Samaras and about the Cypriot issue, for which he spoke of “concoctions” and “concealed division solutions. Which will be the next step of complete Turkification”, as he said among other things. Pavlos Marinakis clarified that “it is a given that the Greek positions are identical to the Cypriot ones” and that Greece and Cyprus are moving together on this issue as well as overall. “It is a given that the solution for the Cyprus problem based on the decisions of the UN Security Council is our national position” he said and asked himself “that is, what does Cyprus want?” To betray herself?’ closing the issue by clarifying with absolute clarity that “So there is no such issue, it is the top priority of the Cyprus problem. We are never going to discuss solutions harmful to Cyprus, a two-state solution, and we will continue to move in this direction.”

However, the distance that seems to be growing between Megaros Maximos and Antonis Samaras also concerns the blue-collar parliamentarians who, although there is a portion of them who are concerned or may “listen” to Samaras’ suggestions, have not proceeded with any parliamentary control initiative, but are maintaining a wait-and-see attitude . Decisive for their stance will be the information they will provide, next Tuesday afternoon, to the MPs participating in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee of the Parliament. the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Giorgos Gerapetritis, in the context of the tightening of contacts between MPs and Ministers, after the irregularities observed and the complaints made by some MPs.

At the same time, however, and while the time for the meeting between Giorgos Gerapetritis and Hakan Fidan in Athens is counting down, Ankara insists on the hard line on referral to negotiation or the international jurisdiction of a package solution, which will not only include the EEZ and continental shelf delimitation difference but also issues of sovereignty and sovereign rights of Greece. Issues on which Athens maintains an immovable stance with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Giorgos Gerapetritis, once again explaining the red lines of our country which does not discuss any issues of sovereignty and sovereign rights.

“Greece is never going to give up its sovereignty, its right to extend its territorial waters to 12 miles. This is something we reserve as a right. It has not been exercised during the entire period of the post-colonial period, obviously, but this does not, not even by reason, exclude the right which derives independently from International Law. So, the discussion that we will remain at 6 nautical miles is obviously futile,” he emphasized in an interview, closing again, any related discussion.