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The nationalist slogans chanted by commandos from the Greek Navy provoked strong dissatisfaction and sharp reactions not only on the part of the opposition, but also on the part of SYRIZA members. Yesterday during the military parade held on the occasion of the national holiday of Greece 25 March in the central Syntagma Square in Athens, the commandos chanted, "We dream /to enter Istanbul/wave the flag/sing the hymn" (that is of Greece).

In particular, SYRIZA MEP Dimitris Papadimoulis wrote on his Twitter profile, "The nationalist slogans of marine infantrymen during the parade contradict the consistent foreign policy of the country. The government is obliged to stop this." In her post on Facebook SYRIZA MP Vasiliki Katrivanou speaks of "a direct challenge to democracy."

New Democracy attacked SYRIZA for its position regarding military parades. Party spokesman Kostas Karagounis stressed in a statement that "yesterday the government's 'no' to parades became a 'yes'." Karagounis accused SYRIZA of changing its views depending on who is involved in the government and stressed that the Greeks do not have a memory like a sieve.
 
PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos sharply criticized the coalition government and especially SYRIZA and those who "being part of the government, yesterday followed the ideas of Independent Greeks and the nationalist far right." Venizelos also stated that "they are incredibly cynical, their only goal is the allocation of power and they struck a blow to the most sensitive spot of democracy itself, namely the public feeling. Ultimately, however, it will punish them." In his statement, PASOK's leader asks, "Don’t those who now enjoy the removal of iron fences, military equipment, flying airplanes and helicopters from parades, and the traditional dances and flags handed out by soldiers remember that, in the past, SYRIZA played a major role in incidents that troubled parades and separated people? Don’t they remember that it even insulted the President of Greece, sending a negative picture of the country to the whole world?  Those who, being part of the government, yesterday followed Independent Greeks were previously against the very concept of "parades" and especially against "school parades", weren’t they?" Venizelos also asks "Don’t you remember that previously SYRIZA identified itself with the extreme left political formation Antarsia and all other groups that were trying to prevent the parades?" Finally, PASOK's leader states, "They probably think that they have the immunity of insolence, of collective conflict and collective amnesia."

Earlier, PASOK headquarters had disseminated a communication in connection with the slogans chanted by the commandos, which defined the Minister of Defence as "irresponsible" and "SYRIZA’s ideological innovator" and stated that the party itself had taken the "path of political and ideological failure."

"During the parade in Syntagma Square, the commandos chanted slogans that challenge existing boundaries. What can be expected with such an irresponsible defence minister? The US Congress for the first time has blocked the resolution on 25 March because of the jihadists whom the incompetent minister, leader of Independent Greeks wants to send," reads the statement by PASOK. "Aren’t there measures to be observed? Maybe they have become blind instruments in the hands of Panos Kammenos? Will someone hold accountable those who allowed the commandos to determine Greece’s foreign policy and national security?" asks the message.