Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Saturday rejected claims that his government is advancing a “woke agenda,” after a conservative newspaper reported that an elective primary-school textbook due next year depicts a same-sex household.
Speaking at a press conference on the second day of the 90th Thessaloniki International Fair, he said: “There is no woke agenda in Greece, I want to be clear about it. And if anyone is defending it, it’s not the government.”
The remarks followed criticism directed at Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki over approved teaching materials that will form part of Greece’s multiple-textbook system. The books, which are not written by the ministry, are evaluated by independent committees and are scheduled for the 2027–2028 school year rather than the current one.
Mitsotakis stood by Zacharaki while leaving room for changes. “It is an achievement for the country that we have a multiple textbook option,” he said. “The books are not written by the minister or the ministry. The books are evaluated by independent committees and if there is an error in a book or something that we consider to create an unjustified reaction, we will correct it. Have no doubt about that.”
Asked whether he regretted legalizing same-sex marriage, he replied: “Let’s not confuse a legal initiative for marriage equality with excesses that we have actually seen in the United States.”
He added: “Let’s not try to invent new reasons to divide us.”
