2024-01-10 20:15:09
The Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, announced on Wednesday January 10 that he wanted to legalize homosexual marriage and grant the right to adoption to same-sex couples. In a country where a traditional family model still predominates, this is a significant step forward. “What we are going to legislate is marriage equality, that is to say the elimination of all discrimination based on sexual orientation with regard to the conclusion of a marriage”affirmed the head of the conservative government, in an interview with the public television channel ERT. “What is marriage anyway? I would say it is the culmination of love between two people, but it is also a legal contract with rights and obligations.”he added.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis, however, did not specify when the bill would be submitted to MPs. According to Greek media, this is expected to happen before the European elections in June.
Since 2015, Greece has allowed civil unions, but for same-sex couples with children, only the biological parent has rights over those children. So in the event of the death of the biological parent, the child is taken from the other parent. Kyriakos Mitsotakis also insisted on the fact that this parent currently had no ” no right “ on the child.
“Same-sex couples have children, and these children will not cease to exist, they will not disappear, but these children do not have the same rights”, regretted the head of government to defend his project. It is in particular to put an end to this problematic situation that Athens wishes to grant the right to adoption to homosexual couples.
On the other hand, unlike heterosexual couples, they will not be authorized to use a surrogate mother.
Homophobic diatribes and strong opposition
Shortly after his comfortable re-election in June, the leader of New Democracy (ND) announced his intention to legalize same-sex marriage, ensuring that Greek society was now “much more ready and mature”.
The government, however, risks encountering certain opposition in the most conservative ranks of the ruling party, but also in part of society. “I want this question [du mariage homosexuel] does not divide Greek society, but allows us to find common ground”insisted the Prime Minister.
Several influential party executives, including former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, have already expressed their rejection of any text legalizing same-sex marriage. The Orthodox Church, which exercises great influence in Greece, is also opposed, with some officials engaging in homophobic diatribes on this occasion. She particularly condemns the education of children by homosexual couples, asserting that they are treated like ” accessories “ and ” pets “. “Children have an innate need and therefore the right to grow up with a male father and a female mother”the Holy Synod recently affirmed.
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The Greeks still seem divided on the question
The Metropolitan of Piraeus Seraphim, known for his controversial positions, swore that homosexuality was “a great sin (…) which leads to terrible diseases, such as cancer and death”.
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The evolution of mentalities within Greek society is however notable, for example through the election in September at the head of the left-wing Syriza party, of Stefanos Kasselakis, who appears conspicuously with his husband recently married in the United States. United. The thirty-year-old also announced that he wanted to use a surrogate mother.
One of the prime minister’s closest aides, his chief economic adviser, Alexis Patelis, also presented her vows on X with her husband, whom he married in 2009 in London.
The Greeks still seem divided on the question. According to an Alco survey for the Alpha channel, published at the beginning of the week, 49% of those questioned are opposed to same-sex marriage. According to another study by Pulse for the Skaï channel, 52% of those questioned expressed a positive opinion regarding same-sex marriage.
Among the twenty-seven countries of the European Union, fifteen have legalized homosexual marriage, and sixteen adoption by same-sex parents.
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