Greece has become the first Orthodox country – and the first in south-eastern Europe – to legalize same-sex marriage.
Same-sex couples will now also be legally allowed to adopt children after Thursday’s 176-76 vote in parliament.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the new law would „boldly abolish a serious inequality”.
But it has divided the country, with fierce resistance led by the powerful Orthodox Church. Its supporters held a protest rally in Athens.
Many displayed banners, held crosses, read prayers and sang passages from the Bible in the capital’s Syntagma Square.
The bill needed a simple majority to pass through the 300-member parliament.
„The reform makes the lives of several of our fellow citizens better, without taking away anything from the lives of the many.”
The vote has been welcomed by LGBTQ organizations in Greece.
Romania is one of the most restrictive countries in the EU for same-sex marriage. Not only does it not allow same-sex unions, but it also doesn’t recognize same-sex marriages carried out in other countries.
The European Court of Human Rights, ECHR, ruled in May 2023 that the Romanian state is breaching article eight of the European Convention on Human Rights – the right to respect for private and family life.
Fifteen of the European Union’s 27 members have already legalized same-sex marriage. It is permitted in 35 countries worldwide.
