A Bulgarian court has recognised a same-sex marriage for the first time in the European nation.

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Australian Kristina Palma and Mariama Dialo married in Dialo’s home country of France, which allowed Palma to work and live in the European Union after marrying an EU citizen.

Bulgarian officials denied Palma’s application to live in Bulgaria back in 2017, arguing that same-sex marriage was not legal in Bulgaria, Associated Press reported.

After a two-year legal battle, a court declared this week that Palma has the right to live with her spouse in any EU nation. The court cited a 2018 European Court of Justice Ruling which stated that EU nations must recognise same-sex marriages from other EU states.

Palma and Dialo’s lawyer Denitsa Lyubenova said the move could be the first step toward marriage equality in Bulgaria.

Bulgaria’s ban of same-sex unions is written into their constitution, which means a two-third majority of parliament would need to agree to amend the law.

OIP Staff