Kyriakos Mitsotakis

Greece's 300-member Parliament approved the bill granting same-sex couples equal rights in marriage in a roll call vote on Thursday night. The reform extends full parental rights to gay couples but will not allow for medically assisted reproduction through a surrogate.

The bill was voted on by 254 lawmakers, with 176 voting in favor and 76 against.

Greece's main opposition party SYRIZA said it will vote in favor of a government bill allowing same-sex couples to marry, noting however that the legislation is "incomplete". 

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Thursday that a bill granting same-sex couples equal rights in marriage would make their families "visible."

The reform extends full parental rights to gay couples but will not allow for medically assisted reproduction through a surrogate. The vote is expected later Thursday.

Most of the farmers are determined to continue their mobilizations; however, some now believe that further escalation is not going to yield the results they want.

Thessaly farmers announced on Wednesday their decision to lift a tractor roadblock but underlined they remain unsatisfied and request a meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
 

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis attended the official launch of two fireboats on Wednesday, describing it as a significant step in a 2.1-billion-euro investment in its fire service and civil protection. The two vessels were commissioned into service during a ceremony held at Piraeus Port near Athens.

Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis has expressed optimism over the meeting that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis held with representatives of protesting farmers at Maximos Mansion.

After a meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Maximos Mansion, representatives of protesting farmers have said that their demands have not been met by the government and that their demonstrations, highway road blocks and lifting of toll booth barriers will continue.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told protesting Greek farmers that his government wants to "find solutions" to their long-standing problems but needs to consider the country's fiscal constraints. 

As part of a two-day visit to Serbia, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday expressed his desire to strengthen economic cooperation between Athens and Belgrade on all sectors.