Former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras took a categorical position against the law on marriage and reproductive rights for homosexual couples, and spoke harshly to Prime Minister Mitsotakis for offered MPs from ND have an easy way out of the situation by abstinencestating: “Are we going to tell people to vote and not abstain, and at the same time tell MPs and ministers to abstain?”
Samaras said the obvious: abstaining from voting is a mockery of voters, since it allows MPs to pretend that they are staying “right” And “react”without being present on the floor of Parliament when the bill is passed.
“I know that for many years all politicians have told the Greek people that they should not abstain from elections and vote for the sake of democracy. So are we really going to tell the Greek people to vote and not abstain, and at the same time tell deputies and ministers to abstain? the former prime minister said as he arrived at the Kalamata courthouse for a pita cutting event at the local bar association.
The former Prime Minister made his opposition to the ruling clear, citing a statement he would make in Parliament, “when the time comes”. “The vast majority of society has an opinion on this issue, and I will take a position in parliament when the time comes,” added the former president “New Democracy”.
What Kyriakos Mitsotakis said about the abstinence of members of parliament and ministers as… protest against the bill. When asked whether he would raise the issue of party discipline for MPs and ministers when the corresponding resolution on same-sex couples comes to a vote in parliament, Kyriakos Mitsotakis responded in in his interview on ERT on Wednesday:
“I will not raise the issue with the deputies, this is a matter of conscience, I said this from the very beginning. MPs vote, not ministers, and when a person is a minister, he takes on more responsibilities. I believe that not enough deputies will vote for this. Mr. Androulakis wants to create a problem with ND while I do not raise the issue of discipline. He uses a question that, as I myself say, will not be related to party discipline. It is important that we do not divide on this issue. I believe we can pass the bill. We do not make laws based on polls. Abstaining (from voting) is a worthy position for a legislator“.
PS Many Greek journalists and political scientists are confident that such an obvious confrontation by Adonis Samaras against making a decision regarding same-sex marriage is in fact a game by Kyriakos Mitsotakis for the public, as well as for the sponsors of this bill from the US Democratic Party. They say “Look, we have such opposition in society that even the former president of our party, who was prime minister, is against it. We will carry out this decision in spite of everything, without even asking the approval of the people of Greece, and for this you (and me personally) should just thank us very well.”
On the other hand, a signal is also sent to Greek citizens who are opposed to this bill that in New Democracy there are clear opponents of same-sex marriage and the adoption of children by LGBTQ+ representatives, leaving hope for the ND electorate with an eye to future elections.
PPS Moreover, A. Samaras faces no threat for this. Him “immunity” to be expelled from the party, like the former party president and prime minister.
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