Excerpts
from the transcripts made at the meeting of Greek political leaders on May 16th
2012, in a discussion that focused on the Chicago NATO Summit. The
transcripts are available at the web site of the Office of the Greek
President www.presidency.gr.
The comments below were made at the final meeting, when Greek
leadership discussed the failure to form a political or technical
Government and decided on new elections. Nationalist leader Kamenos
raised the issue whether the interim Government that will rule Greece
will be able to prevent the possibility of Macedonia gaining support for
a favorable outcome in the Chicago NATO Summit.
Note how Greek leaders
freely use the word "veto", although Greek position is that they do not
veto Macedonian NATO or EU integrations, as they insist all NATO or EU
countries consensually agree with their positions.
Also, note that all
Greek party leaders, across a very wide ideological spectrum, agree on
blocking Macedonia. The one missing, the leader of the Nazi Golden Dawn
Nikos Michololiakos, in a different transcript made on May 13, also
demands from President Papoulias to use his authority over the other
political leaders so that Macedonia is vetoed in Chicago, and he also
demands that the President influences any political leader that might
show some moderation on this issue.
TRANSCRIPT
Kamenos
(Independent Greeks): Mr. President, we would like to have clear guidance from
this Council of political leaders under your presidency on how to handle the
issue that might arise with Skopje joining NATO
at the Chicago Summit under the name “Macedonia”. I would like that we
express our opinion that in this process we have even the option to veto the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to join
NATO under the name “Macedonia”.
Kamenos: I
would like to reopen the issue, whether there is a a possibility to give a
direct order even for a veto to stop the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
from joining NATO under “Macedonia”. So far I don’t have an answer. I ask again
mr. President.
Venizelos
(PASOK): There will be, there will be.
Kamenos:
All right then.
Venizelos:
Regarding the important questions that were raised, as you know, the agenda of
the NATO Summit does not include the question of admitting Skopje. So, there is no question of
enlargement. And if there are any questions raised at the sidelines of the Summit, they will be dealt with according to our national
strategy and the arguments that also include (our response to the) verdict of
the International Court of Justice to the
Hague. So, our arguments need to be more intelligent
then the ones we gave in 2008 (Bucharest NATO Summit).
Samaras
(New Democracy): Of course. We mustn’t back down from Bucharest.
Venizelos:
Obviously. All we need to do is reinforce our arguments in a way that is, shall
I say, more skillful and intelligent.
Kamenos:
But is using the veto to last possible weapon? This is what I’m asking?
Venizelos:
Yes, yes.
President
Papoulias: I think that Kamenos speaks of the possibility that the Skopje issue is added to the Summit agenda…
Venizelos:
Yes, all right.
Papoulias:
…Because right now it is not.
Venizelos:
On the other hand, the reaction after the Hague verdict was very friendly
toward Greece
and our positions. I say this because I dealt with the issue as defense and
finance minister.
Tsipras
(SYRIZA): Regarding NATO, if Ms. Papariga will let me speak so I don’t have to
take the floor again, I would like to make the same point as Mr. Venizelos. To
the best of my knowledge, the Summit Agenda is determined unanimously by the
NATO members, and it doesn’t include the issue of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
So, unless there is some surprise, which is not common practice in such
occasions, there is no serious problem. I believe that our position, that
should be followed by the interim Government, is the position that we also held
so far regarding this important issue, that we, as a country, want the name
issue to be dealt with a mutually acceptable solution with a geographic
qualifier. There is no need to go into this any longer. Regarding the NATO
summit, I think we are covered by the fact that this issue is not on the
agenda.
Papariga
(Greek Communist Party): Because this issue is not on the agenda, there is no
need for discussion. If it does suddenly appear on the agenda, the one who is
going (to Chicago)
will put a veto so it will not be discussed, because there is no official Greek
Government. Our position is known, let’s not discuss it now, before the
elections.
Kouvelis
(Democratic Left): There is no need to open non-existing questions. It is not
on the agenda. We have a specific strategy as a country. In any case it needs
to be stopped. And it is possible to be stopped. We will be there to resist, if
someone wants to put it on the agenda. But, today we have two facts: primarily,
the national strategy and also the fact that the issue is not on the agenda.
Samaras: We
are discussing this in case there is a surprise.
Kouvelis:
That’s what I said.
Samaras: In
case of a surprise there should definitely be a veto. We are not even
discussing that.
Venizelos:
Agreed. These things are understood without saying.
Kouvelis:
These things are understood Mr. Samaras.