Greece has become became the first Orthodox Christian country to legalise same-sex civil marriage, despite opposition from the predominant religious body, the Greek Church.
A cross-party majority of 176 lawmakers in the 300-seat parliament voted late on Thursday in favour of a bill drafted by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s centre-right government. Another 76 rejected the reform while two abstained from the vote and 46 were not present in the house.
Mr Mitsotakis tweeted after the vote that Greece “is proud to become the 16th (European Union) country to legislate marriage equality”.
“This is a milestone for human rights, reflecting today’s Greece — a progressive, and democratic country, passionately committed to European values,” he wrote.
Scores of supporters of the reform who had gathered outside parliament and were watching the debate on a screen cheered loudly and hugged as the vote result was announced. Earlier, people opposed to the bill had also protested nearby, holding prayer books and religious icons.
Opinion polls suggest that most Greeks support the reform by a narrow margin, and the issue has failed to trigger deep divisions in a country more worried about the high cost of living, the Associated Press reported.
The bill was backed by four left-wing parties, including the main opposition Syriza.
“This law doesn’t solve every problem, but it is a beginning,” said Spiros Bibilas, a lawmaker from the small left-wing Passage to Freedom party, who is openly gay.
It was approved despite several majority and left-wing lawmakers abstaining or voting against the reform. Three small far-right parties and the Stalinist-rooted Communist Party rejected the draft law from the start of the two-day debate.