The Greek parliament ratified a Greek-French contract to procure 18 Rafale fighter jets with extensive support from the majority and opposition, including from the centre-right New Democracy, leftist SYRIZA, socialist Movement of Change, and nationalist Hellenic Solution. Only the Greek Communist Party and DiEM25 voted against ratification. Greece will proceed with procuring 12 used and six new French-made Rafale aircraft, which will arrive in three separate instalments between 2021 and 2023. The parliament sent out a strong and cohesive message, said National Defence Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos. However, he called on the opposition to back the initiative to reinforce the Armed Forces, underlining the potential threats for Greece in an unstable region, while parliamentary spokesman Ioannis Vroutsis said a common parliamentary response on national issues was crucial.