He also wants to bring “marriage equality” to Greece by bringing “what is valid in other European countries”, but for Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis the path to greater civil rights represents an uphill battle.
The main obstacles are represented by the powerful Orthodox Church, but also by many defenders of his own party (the center-right “New Democracy” formation) and members of the government themselves.
“I and everyone who believes in this law must convince our parliamentarians and therefore those who may still have a negative attitude,” he said in his first interview of the year with the country’s public broadcaster ERT.
However, after the intervention, MPs left the cabinet one after another and announced that they would not vote for such a bill. The country’s media estimate that a total of 60 to 70 parliamentarians will oppose the introduction of same-sex marriage.
Two conservative newspapers “Estia” and “Dimokratia” said that the proposed law seriously threatens the government’s parliamentary majority and could even become Mitsotakis’ “Waterloo”.
Orthodox Church’s opposition: Homosexuality is “abuse of the body”
While Mitsotakis was quick to reassure the most conservative souls by promising that “the assisted parenting law will not be changed” (the ban is currently in force), the Orthodox Church’s biggest fear is that approval of same-sex marriage could be a problem. The first step towards the LGBTQ+ community assuming parental rights.
Leading religious figures argued that such a revolution would lead to the disintegration of Greek society, while the metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus (who was an intermediate figure between the patriarch and the archbishops) went so far as to define homosexuality as an “abuse of sex.” body” and “a great sin”.
Previously, Seraphim had threatened to excommunicate legislators who voted in favor of legalizing same-sex unions. The issue seems more sensitive than ever and is still largely conditioned by the existence of religion. The Holy Synod recently declared: “No social modernization and no political correctness can deceive the natural need of children to have a father and mother.”
Mitsotakis had announced that he wanted to implement same-sex marriages by considering children’s rights above all else. The Prime Minister said, “I don’t think anyone doubts this reality: Gay couples have children and these children will not disappear, they will not disappear. But these children do not have equal rights,” and then gave an example. The story of a non-biological mother in a lesbian relationship who does not have legal access to the couple’s child if her partner becomes ill. “This child has no rights and will go to an institution.” Likewise, he continued: “A child born abroad cannot become a Greek citizen because we do not recognize marriage between people of the same sex in Greece.”
Caught between the conservative wing of the party, the left-wing opposition that wants more radical reforms, and the ongoing religious rule, Mitsotakis’s will is a political test that bears the full weight of a difficult modernization. The most conservative in Europe.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
