Greece passes legislation to introduce same-sex marriage

Greece’s parliament voted 176 to 76, out of the 254 who voted in the 300-seat chamber, to extend equal marriage and automatic parental rights to same-sex couples, measures that will also allow them to adopt children. This will allow both parents to have guardianship over their joint children, something that is currently extended to the birth parent.

With the new legislation, children will now be able to inherit from their non-biological parent. What the bill does not do is allow male same-sex couples in Greece to have children via surrogacy. That will be reserved only for women who are unable to give birth.

After winning a second term in a landslide victory in June last year, Mitsotakis promised to legalize same-sex marriage, part of his pledge to modernize the country. Including Greece, 16 European Union member states out of 27 now recognize same-sex marriage.

Mitsotakis had to rely on support from four center-left and leftist opposition parties to pass the law after some members of his center-right New Democracy party either abstained or voted against the move.

The influential Church of Greece strongly opposed the legislation, arguing that it represents a threat for the traditional family. Protesters opposed to the new law marched in Athens on Sunday but the turnout was relatively small.

“The reform makes the lives of lots of our fellow citizens much better, without taking away anything from the lives of the many,” Mitsotakis said.