Mitsotakis says government plans to legalize same-sex marriage
Greek Premier Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he plans to legalize same-sex marriage during his second term in government.
“Same-sex marriage will happen at some point and it’s part of our strategy,” Mitsotakis was quoted as telling Bloomberg Television in an interview last Tuesday in Athens. “Greek society is much more ready and mature.”
Same-sex marriage is recognized across most of western Europe, but not in Italy and Greece where civil partnerships exist, along with most other EU members in eastern Europe.
Against opposition from the Greek Orthodox Church and political conservatives, same-sex civil unions were legalized in 2015 under a previous government led by leftist SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras. Tsipras and his party lost by a wide margin to Mitsotakis and New Democracy in two separate electoral battles on May 21 and June 25 this year, prompting him to announce his resignation from the leadership.
In 2022, Greece, under Mitsotakis’ government, banned so-called conversion therapy for minors and repealed a ban on blood donations by gay men.
LGBT groups in Greece have long campaigned for members of their communities to have full family rights and sought the tougher enforcement of anti-discrimination laws.
