Government to bring forward bill on marriage equality

The Greek government is planning to speed up the submission of legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage, amid strong reactions within the Conservative party.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said the bill will extend full parental rights to gay couples but will not allow for medically assisted reproduction through a surrogate.

According to government sources, the initial plan was to present the bill at the end of February but it is believed that the date has been brought forward – although it is still not clear when. 

New Democracy is focusing on limiting tensions from dissenting voices in the party and convincing as many lawmakers as possible to vote in favor of the bill.

Some 60 Conservative MPs are currently leaning towards voting against or abstaining. The most prominent figure among the dissenters, former prime minister Antonis Samaras has decried the idea that MPs should abstain from the vote. Interior Minister Makis Voridis also said he is prepared to hand in his resignation.

At the same time, the LGBTQ+ community is eagerly awaiting the long-delayed legislation, even though there are concerns that it is not bold enough.