Gov’t aims to secure at least 120 conservative votes on same-sex marriage
With the ultimate aim to garner the vote of at least 120 lawmakers of ruling New Democracy when it reaches Parliament, the cabinet Wednesday approved the bill on same-sex marriage.
The draft legislation was submitted for public consultation until January 31, at 9 p.m. It will then be submitted to Parliament where lawmakers will vote on it on February 12.
Currently 94 New Democracy deputies have made it clear that they will vote in favor of it, while of the 33 undecided, 17 do not rule out deciding in favor.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed that he respected the disagreements both within ND’s parliamentary group and the Greek Church, but added that the bill “adds a right to some without taking away a right from the many.”
Conservative lawmaker Makis Voridis made it clear he would abstain from the vote, with government sources noting there is no question of his removal from the cabinet. Meanwhile, the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarchate, which is the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, expressed its opposition to the marriage of same-sex couples, referring to the binding decision of the Synod of the Orthodox Church in June 2016.
