The Alternate Minister of National Defence Panagiotis Rigas, in an interview he gave to the REAL FM radio station, on Thursday 17 January 2019 and to the journalist Nikos Chatzinikolaou, mentioned among other things:
Regarding the Vote of Confidence:

Yesterday, the government of SYRIZA asked and received a vote of confidence from the absolute majority of the national assembly. Any other discussion regarding a patchwork government and loss of the parliamentary majority constitutes a direct effort for deviation. The members of the New Democracy Party, throughout this period, tried to conceal their delight. I would like to remind you that some were claiming that SYRIZA owed the continuation of its governance to the Constitution and others were trying to embroil the President of the Hellenic Republic in infeasible actions which oppose the establishment.

This two-party government constitutes a lesson. Two different parties, with different political backgrounds, different ideological approaches, managed to promote society, to put an end to memoranda and the fiscal surveillance and give a jump-start to development. That is what we achieved. It is obvious that we had our differences. We had to deal with a great issue. Communication was not conducted solely between the two political leaders. The MPs are self-existent individuals who have their own opinion.

When some members of SYRIZA disagreed in 2015 and departed, we never addressed them using labels or by personally targeting these people, but we disagreed with their political choices. These days we are witnessing personal targeting and taunting conducted against certain people and that does not do honour to the political system. Disagreements may occur, but not in a way reminiscent of past times.

About the possibility of the 6 MPs who gave a vote of confidence to the government, joining the SYRIZA parliamentary group:

That is a matter for the MPs themselves. I personally believe that some of them, with whom we stand on common ground regarding other issues, may eventually become members of SYRIZA apart from the party’s parliamentary group.

Regarding the Prespes Agreement:

The Prespes Agreement is a self-existent issue on which everyone will be judged. As the Savvopoulos lyric goes “the moment comes for you to decide whom you will join and whom you will leave behind”. Mr Theodorakis and the River Party must decide. In the summer of 2018 the River Party left the Movement for Change and had differentiated his opinion from that of the Democratic Alignment because it was then that Ms Gennimata decided to place her personal political survival above the overwhelming majority of the Political Council of the Movement for Change. Everyone knows that Mr Amyras and Mr Psarianos will join the New Democracy Party and they openly threaten that they will dissolve the parliamentary group of the River Party if any of its MPs vote for the Prespes Agreement. What we are witnessing is the fervour with which the MPs of the New Democracy Party, even the disguised ones, wish for the collapse of this government.

Why was not a referendum held for the Prespes Agreement?

Greece and FYROM are two completely different cases. FYROM is conducting a constitutional amendment, it is changing its name, it is proceeding to a number of profound institutional changes. It is a completely different state of affairs. We continue with the same strategy that has been followed up until now. The government assumes the responsibility for what must be done, having the ability to do what is necessary. With this agreement we are taking back the name since the neighbouring state will not be called Macedonia anymore, but we achieved what we strived for as a country all this time, a composite erga omnes name with a geographical qualifier. As for nationality and language, an answer was given once more with yesterday’s verbal note coming from Skopje. Everything is clarified. An issue is solved. We will assume the responsibility, disregarding the political cost.

Regarding the forthcoming visit of the Prime Minister to Turkey:

It is obligatory to meet when problems arise. When there are tensions. Thus we manage to decrease tension and see what can facilitate us moving forward. We insist, despite the neighbouring country’s provocations, on the peaceful coexistence in the area. That is how we managed to become a pillar of stability.