The Carefully Calculated Politics Behind Passing Same-Sex Marriage In Greece

Greece made history last week after its parliament approved a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, becoming the first majority-Christian Orthodox country to enact such legislation.

“This is a milestone for human rights, reflecting today’s Greece — a progressive, and democratic country, passionately committed to European values,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis wrote on X, formerly Twitter, following the vote.

Mitsotakis, whowon re-election in a landslide last summer, pushed the bill forward despite facing pushback by the influential Greek church and politicians, including MPs of his own center-right New Democracy party.

The Greek public also appeared split on the issue, according to polling.

But Mitsotakis said he was able to make the argument that it is important to legislate on this matter given it creates meaningful change for some people without threatening the majority of the population in any way.

“I knew from the beginning that there are a lot of people also within my party that did not agree with this but we went through extensive public consultation, we had a very rigorous debate in Greece,” Mitsotakistold GZERO World. “And at the end of the day, human rights is about protecting smaller groups. Otherwise, you have the tyranny of the majority.”

Still, some point out that despite the fact that Mitsotakis believed in this bill, there are also other political calculations he made in pushing it through.

Why Did A Center-Right Government Introduce The Same-Sex Marriage Bill?

The recently passed legislation recognizes the right of same-sex couples to civil marriage and adoption. Previously, under Greek law, only biological parents of children in same-sex relationships were recognized as legal guardians.

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