Nicosia, Cyprus. Three of Cyprus’ six members of the European Parliament said they would attend a same-sex wedding if invited, according to responses given in a video shared by social media influencer Andreas Haris.
Responses from MEPs
Disy’s Loucas Fourlas, Diko’s Costas Mavrides, and independent Fidias Panayiotou answered in the affirmative when asked if they would attend a same-sex wedding if invited, while Elam’s Geadis Geadi said he would not.
Fourlas said, “of course, why would I not go?”, before asking, “if they invite me, right?” Mavrides said, “if they invite me to their party, I will go”.
Mavrides added that he would also bring an envelope full of cash, as is traditional in Cypriot weddings, with Haris replying, “make it a fat envelope, you’re an MEP!”
Panayiotou answered in the affirmative after a pause, which Haris pointed out. Panayiotou said the matter “has a lot of background”, adding that it is “one thing to go to their wedding and another to agree with it, and another for them to be able to adopt”.
Geadi said “no”, before adding, “I answered you very quickly”.
MEPs not included in the video
Akel’s Giorgos Georgiou and Disy’s Michalis Hadjipantela did not appear in the video. Haris wrote after it was published that “those who answered me and gave permission were in the video”.
Legal context in Cyprus
Same-sex marriage is not legal in Cyprus, though civil unions between same-sex couples have been legal since 2016. Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou reported last year that 415 same-sex couples were in civil unions.
Cyprus is one of seven European Union member states which does not allow same-sex marriage. Unlike five of those countries – Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovakia – it does not have a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.
Would you attend a same-sex wedding if you were invited?