Italy, Greece to pass civil union bills

Italian and Greek governments this week have introduced motions to parliament endorsing same-sex civil unions in the near future.

Greece’s new reigning party Syriza submitted potential legislation last Wednesday, the first gesture of its kind in Greek history. The proposal calls for equal rights for LGBT couples in terms of taxation, inheritance and insurance, though adoption policy will remain unchanged, according to Gay Star News.

The far-left Syriza’s parliamentary majority suggests the motion will pass with relative ease.

The Italian bill, also submitted on Wednesday, aims ‘to promote the adoption of a law on civil unions, particularly with regard to the condition of people of the same sex’.

Italian parliament have rejected a number of similar bills in the past, though Prime Minster Matteo Renzi believes that “civil unions cannot be delayed any longer” since Ireland’s recent legalization of marriage equality as a result of referendum.

Italy, like Ireland, hosts a predominantly Catholic population. Italy remains the last nation in Western Europe to legally recognize same-sex relationships.

OIP Staff

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