The Valentine’s Day session in the Greek parliament saw strong opposition and protests from the Orthodox church, but there’s also a notable shift in public opinion that favours the change.
During Wednesday’s debate, lawmaker Maria Syrengela of the governing centre-right New Democracy party described the bill as “a small contribution towards the creation of a society without discrimination.”
Expected to pass, the bill would grant same-sex couples full parental rights while excluding male partners from seeking children born in Greece through surrogacy.
Scheduled for Thursday February 15, the vote on the same-sex marriage bill prompts a closer examination of its significance and timing.
The journey toward legalizing same-sex civil marriage in Greece has been marked by prolonged contention, with previous governments avoiding clashes with the Orthodox Church.
Civil partnerships for gay couples were legalized in 2015, facing opposition from conservatives. Promised expansions of these rights were repeatedly postponed amid economic crises and the pandemic.
Many same-sex couples opted to marry in other EU countries with marriage equality laws, circumventing restrictions at home.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in his second term, is pushing through challenging reforms, including addressing fan violence in sports and breaking the state monopoly on higher education.
The Greek church opposes the marriage bill, expressing its objections through letters to lawmakers and circulars read during Sunday services. The church sees same-sex marriage as a threat to traditional family values, linking its support to addressing declining birth rates in Europe.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople (Istanbul), echo this sentiment, reflecting broader apprehension towards gay rights in eastern and southern Europe.
Advocates hail the bill as a landmark reform, recognizing same-sex couples as family units for the first time.
Non-biological partners would need to seek guardianship through adoption, a more time-consuming process compared to other European countries.
Transgender activists seek additional changes to family law, as they anticipate remaining in legal uncertainty.
Despite complexities in the political landscape, there’s consensus across the EU on same-sex marriage as politicians prepare for bloc-wide elections in June.
Mitsotakis faces dissent within his party and relies on opposition support for the bill to pass. Opposition Syriza leader Stefanos Kasselakis, who is openly gay, provides crucial backing along with left-wing and centrist votes.
Far-right parties align with religious protests but lack the leverage to block the bill, aiming instead to erode support from Mitsotakis’ conservative base.
