New Democracy opposition party lawmaker, Ioannis Kefalogiannis, in charge for the party's foreign policy, has demanded the Greek government to voice its clear position on the name row with Macedonia.
Following Monday's statement made by SYRIZA MP Makis Balaouras who said he would not dismiss the possibility the name of Greece's northern neighbor to be only Macedonia, Kefalogiannis addressed a question to the Tsipras-led government, asking him to clearly state his position whether such views reflected SYRIZA's majority's beliefs, whether such 'similar opinions' are supported or these were merely 'linguistic omissions'.
According to the New Democracy MP, these kinds of statements provide 'arguments for Skopje's intransigence, strengthen historically inaccurate assumptions of Skopje's Macedonianism and undermine the national position formed in April 1993'.
In an interview for a Greek radio station, Balaouras said on Monday that he finds the names such as Northern Macedonia and Slavo-Macedonia acceptable, but that he would not dismiss the possibility the solution to lie in the simple denomination - Macedonia.
Tsipras' government has shown reserve in terms of the statement and reiterated that Athens' official position is a name with a geographical qualifier for general use.
Government sources added that the statement will not cause problems with SYRIZA's coalition partner - Independent Greeks party - and that it was a manifestation of the MP's personal opinion.