Greek opposition leader and likely next Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, said that the name issue with Macedonia is not over, and that if he has the chance, he will use the right to block Macedonia from joining the European Union.

Tsipras gave up our strongest diplomatic weapon and approved that Skopje enters NATO. He ignored the voices of protest from all parts of our country, he ignored the mass rallies. He pays no attention to the fact that 70 percent of all Greeks reject this deal. Tsipras insults all you, all Greeks, saying that we are right wing extremists and nationalists, Mitsotakis said.

The deal was signed by the left wing Governments of Macedonia and Greece, and is rejected by the conservative parties in both countries. In Macedonia it was pushed through Parliament in exchange for amnesty after members of Parliament were blackmailed and arrested on political or trumped up charges. In Greece, the opposition claims that the very narrow majority for the deal was reached with bribes.

Under the deal, Macedonia would join NATO soon and would open EU accession talks this summer, and Greece pledges not to block this process. Mitsotakis said that the deal gives way too much to the “Skopje side” and over time Macedonia would be able to drop the adjective “North” from its name. Therefore, as future Prime Minister, he said, he will re-assert the Greek right to block Macedonia’s EU accession, and will stop the opening or closing of EU accession chapters.