United States Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle triggered political speculation in Athens after liking a video in which former prime minister Antonis Samaras attacked the Greek government.
The post, published on Instagram by Mega TV, featured Samaras criticising European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen over statements regarding the language and culture of North Macedonia.
In the broadcast, set against a blue background, Samaras questioned which Europe von der Leyen claimed to represent. Officials in Brussels offered no response to his comments.
Attack on European Bureaucracy and Prespa Agreement
Samaras used the video to target European bureaucracy while implicitly criticising current Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. He targeted Mitsotakis for failing to immediately denounce the 2018 Prespa Agreement originally signed by former prime minister Alexis Tsipras.
The Prespa Agreement settled a long-standing diplomatic dispute between Athens and Skopje over the official name, language, and national identity of North Macedonia. Von der Leyen had made her remarks to encourage Sofia to unblock North Macedonia's accession path to the European Union, a move Samaras rejected.
Samaras also condemned a deal to return the bones of Tsar Samuel to Bulgaria in exchange for 48 religious relics stolen by Bulgarian forces during World War I. The artifacts were taken from the Holy Monastery of Panagia Eikosifoinissa, the Holy Monastery of Timios Prodromos in Serres, and the Holy Metropolis of Serres and Nigrita.
Samaras described the exchange as unfair given the historical importance of the bones to Bulgaria. He noted that during his own term as prime minister he demanded the full return of all stolen items, which numbered far more, though his demand was not met.
Speculation Over Diplomatic Intentions
The ambassador's digital interaction prompted questions over whether Guilfoyle intended to send a political signal to the Greek administration. However, Washington strongly supports Balkan stability, backed North Macedonia joining NATO to limit Russian influence, and has consistently endorsed the Prespa Agreement.
Speculation also linked the gesture to a Wall Street Journal report detailing a lunch where Guilfoyle reportedly claimed the United States could easily overthrow a government, citing political developments in Romania involving local Socialists. Observers dismissed suggestions that Washington seeks to undermine Mitsotakis or that Samaras's movement could serve as a vehicle for such an effort.
Commentators considered whether Guilfoyle simply admired Samaras's conservative stance against woke culture, which aligns with elements of Donald Trump's Make America Great Again movement. Yet observers questioned whether she would intentionally endorse a message openly hostile to the ruling party, dismissing links to a private conversation involving former minister Stavros Papastavrou.
Friction With Maximos Mansion and Human Error
Reports suggested the move might reflect diplomatic friction between Guilfoyle and Maximos Mansion, the official seat of the Greek prime minister in Athens. Guilfoyle had attempted to organize a meeting between Mitsotakis and US President Donald Trump, but efforts stalled after the White House indicated Trump did not wish to meet with the Greek leader.
Political analysts noted that the incident may reflect an aphorism attributed to former Greek prime minister Constantine Karamanlis, who warned against seeking grand conspiracies when events are better explained by simple human error. The like may have been pressed inadvertently by an aide managing the social media account.
A review of the Mega TV account revealed that administrators subsequently restricted public access to view which users had liked the post. The source noted that the privacy change appeared to be coincidental.
