If Greek politics were not already heated enough, the government is putting more coal in the engine, going full-steam ahead towards yet another heated debate.

This week, sources close to the Tsipras administration leaked information that the government is aiming to start a discussion about the separation of church and state, in view of an imminent constitutional reform.

The government’s suggestions are expected to be presented to the Parliament in October, when the House reopens after the Greek summer break, but Syriza is aiming to spark a debate on the thorny issue within the following weeks, to test political waters.

The separation of church and state has always been part of the Syriza political agenda, but it had been put aside during the crisis. However, last year, the governing party returned to this policy, presenting a basic outline of its proposal. This includes a clear distinction between government agencies and religious institutions, including the Greek Orthodox church, with full respect to the latter’s historic role. According to the Syriza proposal, the Greek state would adopt total neutrality regarding religion, acknowledging the Christian Orthodox religion as the one historically dominant in the country. Furthermore, the change would see that a civil oath would become mandatory in all elected officials’ appointment ceremonies, replacing religious oath.

By pursuing this long-demanded change in the nature of the Greek state, the leftist government party is aiming to reaffirm its positioning as the leading progressive political power, aiming to put pressure to moderates within the political spectrum, particularly to the centre-left parties comprising the Movement of Change coalition led by PASOK.

At the same time, this is going to give the government the opportunity to put even more pressure to the Opposition, particularly since Kyriakos Mitsotakis has declared that he is against the separation of church and state. The government is bound to use this, to further accuse the Nea Dimokratia leader for shifting towards the far-right, leaving behind his centrist profile.

However, despite being an affirmation of the government’s progressive credentials, this policy is not without risks. The discussion might be in its early stages, but it has already caused a rift between Syriza and its minor coalition partner, the far-right party of Independent Greeks (ANEL). The party’s MPs already appear divided on this issue, with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Terence Quick coming out in favour of the proposition and other MPs dismissing any notion altoghether. As for the party’s leader, Defense Minister Panos Kammenos, he said that he is going to decide after meeting with Archbishop Ieronymos, and discussing the matter with him.

So far, relations between PM Alexis Tsipras and the leader of the Greek Orthodox church have been very good, which allows the government to be optimistic. Ieronymos has only intervened once in government politics, expressing the church’s disagreement to changes proposed in how religion is taught at schools, which led to the dismissal of education minister, Nikos Filis. It is telling that the Greek Orthodox Church has been very cautious in approaching the Macedonian dispute, refraining from entering the debate.

Ieronymos is bound to approach the church-state discussion with the same caution, taking into account some of the most significant aspects of this potential, and most particularly the fate of 10,000 priests whose salaries are paid by the government and who risk being unemployed.