His “political massage” was completed on Monday night Akis Skertsou to the parliamentarians of the ND regarding the bill for same-sex couples, with the aim of overcoming the resistance of at least some of them. It is indicative that the Minister of State’s briefing at the ND headquarters in Piraeus it lasted 2.5 hours.

“Questions were asked, clarifications were given. I think we all became wiser from this discussion” the Minister of State pointed out.

Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis spoke of a “fantastic initiative”. “Those who disagreed also took the floor. We answered all the questions, which arguments were answered” write down.

“The atmosphere was very good. 100% (the ND comes out more united)” said the minister, who refused to comment on the statements made by Antonis Samaras.

“In a liberal party like ND it’s really nice to have a dialog” commented Konstantinos Giulekas. “All views were heard… It is important that all sides are heard. If some have learned to be soldiers, we discuss and decide according to conscience, as the prime minister said,” he added.

“It was an important update, our questions were resolved and we are moving forward. Of course we will be united. We didn’t come here to divide… It was a nice discussion, and all people have rights,” said Katerina Monogiou.

For “constructive discussion” Vassilis Spanakis spoke. “Although many questions were raised, they were all answered. The ND is a democratic party, all opinions are heard and we have another discussion about the vote,” stressed Mr. Spanakis.

“It was a very nice conversation,” said Maria Kefala.

It is noted that those MPs had reservations they didn’t “open their papers” what will they do in the end, and if they will use “the path” indicated by the prime minister in his interview with ERT, i.e. abstaining from voting against the n/s.

The first group of ND deputies (from A to K) included at least 10 who have declared that they are not going to change their position, as they will vote against the bill for reasons of conscience.

The mark of the intentions was again given by the prime minister with his weekly post on Facebook, repeating that has no intention of dividing society and underlining the legal nature of legislative intervention“to settle an issue of human rights and equality. To legally recognize a reality that also exists in our country” he underlined, noting at the same time the need to address “injustices and inequalities in the best interest of children”.

However, the reactions in the “blue camp” continued. Earlier, associates of Antonis Samaras, made a sharp statement against the government representative Pavlos Marinakis, on the issue of same-sex couples, while government sources closed the issue.

Colleagues of the former prime minister also reacted to what the government representative P. Marinakis said, who emphasized that the abstention – to which K. Mitsotakis urged the dissenters – constitutes a parliamentary act and recalled that Antonis Samaras was absent in 2015 from the vote on cohabitation agreement of same-sex couples.

“We don’t understand the “lesson” he wanted to give today Mr. Pavlos Marinakis to the former prime minister and former president of the ND” reported associates of Mr. Samaras.

Government sources, responding to the Samaras associates, simply stated: “We have nothing to add to this discussion.”