Slovenia became the first Eastern European country to legalize same-sex marriage and adoption
On Tuesday, the Slovenian Parliament adopted an amendment that enables same-sex couples to enter into marriage and adopt decision of the Constitutional Court became the first country in Eastern Europe to do so.
The amendment to the Family Law was accepted by 48 MPs, 29 were against it, and one abstained.
Slovenia, created after the breakup of Yugoslavia, is the first ex-communist country to support this reform in Europe, as most of its neighbors do not allow civil unions or same-sex marriages.
In 2016, the Estonian government came closest, when it agreed to recognize same-sex unions concluded in other countries. Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Montenegro have laws that establish same-sex civil partnerships – and in Hungary from the summer of 2021, even talking about homosexuality in front of minors is punishable by a fine.
The highest Slovenian court ruled in July that the law, which defines marriage only between a man and a woman, discriminates against same-sex and lesbian couples.
With immediate effect, it withheld the controversial articles and ordered the parliament to change the text within six months.
“With these changes, we are recognizing same-sex couples the rights they should have had for a long time,” State Secretary Simon Maljevac said when presenting the amendment to the deputies.
The largest opposition party, the Slovenian Democratic Party, criticized the court’s decision and organized several rallies against the new law.
“The best father will never replace a mother and vice versa,” said the president of the SDS parliamentary group, Alenka Jeraj, at the opening of the debate.