Just do it or keep silent
The first announcement is a social pulse reading: It expresses the government’s general will and listens to the reaction of the electorate; it records and assesses reflex reactions, psychological responses, and the early mental processing of an idea. The second is aimed at the party: MPs and officials already know that same-sex marriage is on the government’s agenda, but until the time they see the government “committing” to the idea, they reserve the right to doubt that it will be implemented.
This stirring of the pot serves both as an announcement and as a test. It examines who will react, how they will react, and calculates who will pose a problem. The third announcement is aimed at the institutional and semi-institutional forces, the influencers of the sociopolitical scene, who take sides with or without any jurisdiction over sensitive issues, thereby affecting their reception, whether directly or indirectly.
It is here where the search for allies begins, as well as the revelation of potential enemies. The data is analyzed, conclusions are made and the legislative initiative is either advanced or abandoned. All of the above has already been done. At how many announcements of same-sex marriage are we allowed to feel mocked? The constant regurgitating of the subject used to have a strategic purpose, but now is indicative of the unwillingness to act; all talk and no action. Things are only as complicated as we choose to make them.
The bait
The director of the government’s press office has assured us that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will bring up the bill within the terms of his current administration, at a time of his choosing. The same has been stated by the government spokesman, who underlined that the expression “all in due time” does not mean the government wishes to evade the subject. As of this moment, however, the entire agenda seems to be little more than a piece of bait, conducting endless strolls over the mouth of the central political space.
The fact of the matter is that the excuses regarding proper timing might have had some logic during the Covid-19 pandemic, but they now represent not an objective necessity, but small, inner-party fears and ideological insecurities. One could hardly imagine ND being politically stronger than it now is: As the leftist SYRIZA party is splintering, and socialist PASOK remains uninspiring, and thus unattractive, the ruling party finds itself enjoying not just an uncommon primacy, but also the unique luxury of repeating mistakes.
At how many announcements of same-sex marriage are we allowed to feel mocked?
At this juncture, which has already taken unimaginably long to get to due to bitter political infighting, even an unpopular option – as some believe the same-sex marriage bill is – does not have the power to do the damage the government fears. (Same-sex civil unions are already legal in Greece, but adoption by same-sex couples has not been legislated and remains deeply unpopular.)
Let the extreme right-wing friends of the party be displeased. Let them go. Where will they go? ND has already disappointed them on more inflammatory issues and they have still not jumped ship, which the party appears to be so much afraid of.
Everything will be fine
It is easy to predict what will happen if the bill comes to pass: Practically speaking, whatever could happen is already happening: The Church will condemn it. Some of its serious and unserious representatives will take to the television, perhaps even to the streets, and trumpet their uncompromising homophobic rhetoric. Excommunications are also on the table. Then the folk singer takes his turn, who will express his powerful opposition, possible with reasoning along the lines of “I am a traditional man and I do not like this stuff.”
He will be followed by the forgotten actress who will also showcase her prehistoric theory of what is normal and what is abnormal on the television screen, drawing our attention to the new world order, which threatens to dilute our culture.
Many more will speak up, but everyone will be forgotten. The day will come when the objectors of progress will realize that they are admonishing something which neither concerns them nor affects them, and then they will quieten. A minority will then be more secure, happier, and it will be as if it had always been so.
