Same-sex marriage push in Greece: To be submitted to parliament
Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis announced that a bill allowing same-sex marriage will soon be submitted to parliament. However, he clarified that the law will not grant same-sex couples the right to become parents through surrogacy.
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Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated in an interview with state television ERT, "Twenty countries in Europe have legalized marriage equality. We are not reinventing the wheel."
TO BE SUBMITTED TO PARLIAMENT
Mitsotakis said the bill would protect the existing children of same-sex parents, including those who are adopted or born to surrogate mothers abroad, and added: "Same-sex couples already have children, but they do not have equal rights. For example, if the mother dies, her partner has no legal rights over the child."
It is not yet clear when the bill will be submitted to parliament. However, the process will not take very long. Mitsotakis was also asked about the differences between the government's proposal and that of the main opposition party, SYRIZA. Mitsotakis stated that the right to assisted reproduction through surrogacy would be excluded from the bill. "The idea of turning women into machines that produce children on demand, that will not happen," said Mitsotakis, announcing that there would be no changes to the parental law.