Blue Rebels Demand Full Repeal of Same-Sex Marriage Law: A Shift to the Right Amidst PASOK’s Free Fall

An operation codenamed ‘agenda change with an eye to the right’ is underway within the government camp, where ND has the most leverage. The €25 billion armament program, wage increases for armed forces extending to security personnel and penitentiary employees—announcements set for September at the Thessaloniki International Fair as committed by the prime minister—and the upcoming directive aimed at closing any loophole for surrogacy by same-sex male couples target traditional voter bases that are either dissatisfied or have abandoned ND. However, while attempting to fill the void, the government is simultaneously alienating its base. When the regulation for equal marriage rights was introduced, about a third of ND’s parliamentary group voted against it or abstained. Discussions in the coffee shops and corridors of Parliament focused on Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis’ proposal to close the final window for surrogacy by same-sex male couples. Despite conflicting judicial decisions, clarification is needed, according to governmental sources. Many MPs speak of vindication for Samaras’ positions, which were erased by Mitsotakis. The heavy atmosphere brings murmurs of potential law repeal, risking votes from the inclusive political center. Meanwhile, ND recorded a new drop of 2.1 points in the Marc poll for ANT1, and PASOK seems in free fall from 15.4% to 11.1%. In contrast, Zoi Konstantopoulou’s Freedom Sailing party surges to 13.7%. The situation paints a fragmented political landscape with Greece facing a period of great uncertainty.