Recognition of same-sex unions in Europe
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Debate has occurred throughout Europe over proposals to legalize same-sex marriage as well as same-sex civil unions.
Currently 25 of the 50 countries and 4 of the 6 dependent territories in Europe recognize some type of same-sex unions, among them a majority of members of the European Union. Eleven European countries legally recognize same-sex marriage, namely Belgium, Denmark,[nb 1] France, Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands,[nb 2] Norway, Portugal, Slovenia[1], Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.[nb 3] An additional twelve countries have a form of civil union or unregistered cohabitation, as do four dependent territories. San Marino only allows immigration and cohabitation of a citizen's partner. Several countries are currently considering same-sex union recognition.
The constitutions of Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine define marriage as a union between a man and a woman, banning same-sex marriage.
Current situation
Marriage
Jurisdiction | entry into force | notes | |
---|---|---|---|
1[2] | Belgium | 1 June 2003 | |
2[3] | Denmark | 15 June 2012 |
|
3[4] | Finland | 1 March 2017 |
|
4[5] | France | 18 May 2013 | |
5[6] | Iceland | 27 June 2010 | |
6[7] | Luxembourg | 1 January 2015 | |
7[8][9] | Netherlands | 1 April 2001 |
|
8[10] | Norway | 1 January 2009 | |
9[11] | Portugal | 5 June 2010 | |
10[12] | Spain | 3 July 2005 | |
11 | Sweden | 1 May 2009 | |
12[13][14] | United Kingdom | 13 March 2014 |
|
Civil union
Jurisdiction | entry into force | amended (to the effect that civil unions may not be registered anymore) |
notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1[15][16] | Andorra | 23 March 2005 |
| |
25 December 2014 |
| |||
2[17] | Austria | 1 January 2010 |
| |
3[18] | Belgium | 1 January 2000 |
| |
4[19] | Croatia | 5 August 2014 |
| |
5[20] | Czech Republic | 1 July 2006 |
| |
6[3] | Denmark | 1 October 1989 | 15 June 2012 |
|
7[21] | Estonia | 1 January 2016 |
| |
8[22] | Finland | 1 March 2002 |
| |
9[23] | France | 16 November 1999 |
| |
10[24] | Germany | 1 August 2001 |
| |
11[25] | Gibraltar (British Overseas Territory) |
28 March 2014 |
| |
12 | Greenland (constituent country of Denmark) |
26 April 1996 |
| |
13[26] | Hungary | 1 July 2009 |
| |
14[6][27] | Iceland | 27 June 1996 | 27 June 2010 |
|
27 June 2006 |
| |||
15[28] | Ireland | 1 January 2011 |
| |
16[29] | Isle of Man (British Crown Dependency) |
6 April 2011 |
| |
17[30] | Jersey (British Crown Dependency) |
2 April 2012 |
| |
18[31] | Liechtenstein | 1 September 2011 |
| |
19[32] | Luxembourg | 1 November 2004 |
| |
20[33] | Malta | 14 April 2014 |
| |
21[9] | Netherlands | 1 January 1998 |
| |
22[10] | Norway | 1 August 1993 | 1 January 2009 |
|
23[34] | Slovenia | 23 July 2006 |
| |
24 | Sweden | 1 January 1995 | 1 May 2009 |
|
25[35] | Switzerland | 1 January 2007 |
| |
26[36] | United Kingdom | 5 December 2005 |
|
Future legislation
Marriage
Government proposals or proposals with a parliamentary majority
Greenland: A bill aiming for the adoption of Denmark's marriage law, as supported by the government of Greenland, was planned to be considered by parliament in the spring of 2014, but postponed to the autumn of 2014.[37] However, because of early parliamentary elections held in November 2014, consideration of the bill has been delayed.
Ireland: The government announced plans to hold a referendum on the legalisation of same-sex marriage in May 2015.[38] It was announced on 20 February that the vote will be held on 22 May 2015.
Jersey: On 28 May 2014 the deputy Sam Mezec of the Reform Jersey party submitted a proposition asking the Assembly of the States of Jersey to support, in principle, the legalisation of same-sex marriage and to request the Chief Minister to prepare the necessary draft legislation to give effect to the proposal.[39][40][41] On 8 July 2014, the Assembly voted for the amendment to the proposal, introduced by Senator Ian Le Marquand, to request the Chief Minister to present a detailed study into the effects of allowing same-sex marriage by 31 December 2014. The amendment was passed by 24 votes to 18 and the amended proposition by 39 to 1.[42][43][44] On 26 November 2014, the Chief Minister Ian Gorst published a report, which includes a commitment to introduce legislation to legalise same-sex marriage by the end of 2017 at the latest.[45][46]
Opposition proposals or proposals without a parliamentary majority
Austria: The opposition party The Greens – The Green Alternative submitted a bill to the National Council on 20 November 2013. It was sent to the Judiciary Committee on 17 December 2013. On 25 June 2014 the Judiciary Committee postponed consideration of the bill.[47]
Germany: The opposition party The Left submitted a bill to the Federal Diet on 23 October 2013. It had its first reading on 19 December 2013.[48]
Italy: Two bills were submitted to the Senate on 15 March 2013. A third bill was submitted on 5 April 2013. On 18 June 2013 the examination of those bills by several committees started.[49][50][51]
Slovenia: On 15 December 2014 members of the opposition party United Left introduced a bill into parliament. It had its first reading on 16 January 2015.[52] On 10 February 2015 the Committee on Labour, Family, Social Affairs and the Disabled recommended to approve the bill.[53] On 3 March 2015 the National Assembly passed the bill 51 votes to 28.[54]
Switzerland: The Green Liberal Party of Switzerland submitted a parliamentary initiative aiming for a constitutional amendment allowing couples to enter into a marriage or civil union "irrespective of gender or sexual orientation" to the National Council on 5 December 2013. On 20 February 2015 the Justice Committee recommended to approve the proposal.[55]
Civil unions
Government proposals or proposals with a parliamentary majority
France: In April 2014 a proposal for an amendment to the civil solidarity pact law, for it to apply to French Polynesia, was presented to the National Assembly.[56]
Greece: On 9 February 2015, the SYRIZA-led coalition government, sworn in on 27 January 2015, has promised to extend cohabitation agreements to same-sex couples.[57][58]
Italy: In October 2014 the government announced plans to submit a further bill (see below) "by the end of the year, or January at the latest".[59]
Opposition proposals or proposals without a parliamentary majority
Italy: On 20 March 2013 and 26 March 2013, Civil Union and Cohabitation bills were submitted to the Senate. On 18 June 2013 the examination of those bills by several committees started. A third bill was submitted on 19 December 2013. Its examination started on 4 March 2014.[60][61][62]
Mutual recognition
European Union: Debate has occurred in the European Union over a proposal which would require each member to legally recognize each other's same-sex marriages as well as any member's civil unions and registered partnerships to ensure the right of freedom of movement for citizens' family members.[63]
Public opinion
Public support for same-sex marriage from EU member states as measured from a 2006 poll is the greatest in the Netherlands (82%), Sweden (71%), Denmark (69%), Spain (66%), Belgium (65%), Luxembourg (58%), Finland (54%), Germany (52%) and the Czech Republic (52%).[64] However, other polls have also placed Germany and France between 54% to 65%,[65] the UK at 61%.[66]
After the approval of same-sex marriage in Portugal in January 2010, 52% of the Portuguese population stated that they were in favor of the legislation.[67] In 2008 58% of the Norwegian voters supported the Marriage Act, which was introduced in the same year, and 31 percent were against it.[68] In January 2013 54.1% of Italians respondents supported same-sex marriage[69] In a late January 2013 survey 77.2% of Italians respondents supported the recognition of same-sex unions.[70]
In Ireland, a 2008 survey revealed 84% of people supported civil unions for same-sex couples (and 58% for same-sex marriage),[71] while a 2010 survey showed 67% supported same-sex marriage[72] by 2012 this figure had risen to 73% in support.[73]
A March 2013 survey by Taloustutkimus found that 58% of Finns supported same-sex marriage.[74]
In Croatia, a poll conducted in November 2013 revealed that 59% of Croats think that marriage should be constitutionally defined as a union between a man and a woman, while 31% do not agree with the idea.[75]
In Poland a 2013 public poll revealed that 70% of Poles reject the idea of registered partnerships.[76] Another survey in February 2013 revealed that 55% were against and 38% of Poles support the idea of registered partnerships for same-sex couples.[77]
In comparison, support tends to be the lowest in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Latvia, and Romania. The average percentage of support for same-sex marriage in the European Union as of 2006 when it had 25 members was 44%, which had descended from a previous percentage of 53%. The change was caused by more socially conservative nations joining the EU.[64]
Opinion polls
Country | Pollster | Year | For | Against | Don't Know/Neutral/No answer |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Austria | Market/ORF | 2014 | 73%[78][79] | 24%[78][79] | 3%[78][79] |
Belgium | Ipsos | 2013 | 67%[80] | 21%[80] | 12%[80] |
Bulgaria | Eurobarometer | 2006 | 15%[81] | 65%[81] | 20%[81] |
Croatia | Pilar's barometer | 2014 | 17%[82] | 61%[82] | 1% – no answer; 21% – Neutral[82] |
Cyprus | SIGMALIVE | 2014 | 39%[83] | 58%[83] | 2%[83] |
Czech Republic | CVVM | 2014 | 45%[84] | 48%[84] | 7%[84] |
Denmark | YouGov | 2012 | 79%[85] | 16%[85] | 6%[85] |
Estonia | ASi | 2012 | 34%[86] | 60%[86] | 6% |
Finland | Taloustutkimus | 2014 | 65%[87] | 27%[87] | 8% |
France | Ifop | 2014 | 68%[88] | 32%[88] | 0%[88] |
Germany | TNS Emnid | 2013 | 74%[89] | 23%[89] | 3%[89] |
Greece | A Kapa Research | 2010 | 39%[90][91] | 52%[90][91] | 9%[90][91] |
Hungary | Ipsos | 2013 | 30%[80] | 47%[80] | 23%[80] |
Ireland | RedC | 2014 | 76%[92] | 19%[92] | 5%[92] |
Italy | Demos | 2014 | 55%[93] | 42%[93] | 3%[93] |
Latvia | Eurobarometer | 2006 | 12%[81] | 77%[81] | 7%[81] |
Lithuania | 2013 | 5%[94] | 84%[94] | 8%[94] | |
Luxembourg | Politmonitor | 2013 | 82%[95] | 17%[95] | 1%[95] |
Malta | MaltaToday | 2012 | 46%[96] | 51%[96] | 3% |
Netherlands | Ifop | 2013 | 85%[97] | - | - |
Norway | Ipsos | 2013 | 78%[80] | 17%[80] | 4%[80] |
Poland | CBOS | 2013 | 26%[98] | 68%[98] | 6%[98] |
Portugal | Eurosondagem | 2010 | 52%[99] | 43%[99] | 5%[99] |
Romania | Eurobarometer | 2006 | 11%[81] | 79%[81] | 10%[81] |
Russia | Levada Public Opinion Center | 2013 | 5%[100] | 85%[100] | 10% |
Slovakia | Eurobarometer | 2006 | 19%[81] | 81%[81] | 0%[81] |
Slovenia | Delo | 2015 | 59%[101] | 37%[101] | 4%[101] |
Spain | Ipsos | 2013 | 76%[80] | 18%[80] | 6%[80] |
Sweden | Ipsos | 2013 | 81%[80] | 14%[80] | 4%[80] |
Switzerland | Ifop | 2013 | 63%[97] | - | - |
Ukraine | Gay Alliance of Ukraine | 2013 | 26%:
9% support same-sex marriage, 17% support some exceptions to allow same-sex marriages to be recognized depending on each individual cases.[102] |
62%[102] | 12% |
United Kingdom | BBC Radio 5 | 2014 | 68%[103] | 26%[103] | 6% |
See also
Notes
References
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