FILE PHOTO: Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (C) speaks with Interior Minister Alexis Haritsis (2nd R) and Defense Minister Panos Kammenos (R) before a cabinet meeting following a reshuffle in Athens, Greece, August 31, 2018. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

ATHENS (Reuters) - The leader of the Greek ruling coalition’s junior partner said on Tuesday he would not back the government if a deal over Macedonia’s name would come to parliament for a vote.

“If this agreement reaches the point of coming to Greece’s parliament we don’t have the popular mandate to continue to stay in the (coalition) government,” said Defence Minister and leader of the Independent Greeks party Panos Kammenos.

But he said that he did not see this as a likely outcome. Parliamentary elections are due by the autumn of 2019, and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has said he does not expect elections before then.