Private crematoriums mooted in Parliament

Two days after the government submitted to Parliament a draft presidential decree expected to pave the way for the construction of Greece’s first state-run crematorium, Interior Minister Panos Skourletis on Friday heralded a bill that would allow the creation of private crematoriums.

“It is the obligation of the government, and not only the government, to respect individuals’ right to choose the form of their funeral,” Skourletis said in response to a question submitted by SYRIZA MP Anna Vagena.

“It is our commitment and we will honor it by broadening that possibility beyond municipalities to private individuals,” Skourletis added.

Vagena, whose husband’s body was cremated in Bulgaria due to the absence of a crematorium in Greece, cried while describing her experience in Parliament on Friday.

“I want to reassure you that we are uniting our voice with yours,” Skourletis told Vagena.