Luxembourg: Parliament to vote on same-sex marriage bill ‘before summer’
Luxembourg’s same-sex marriage bill has been passed by Parliament’s legal affairs committee, clearing the way for a vote before the summer.
The bill, which also grants adoption rights to same-sex couples, was first introduced in the country in 2012, and has taken over two years to progress to a vote due to extensive changes.
A previous version of the bill had maintained that only ‘open’ adoptions – where the birth parents retain access rights – should be permitted for same-sex couples, but the Luxembourg State Council ruled the measure discriminatory.
The bill passed committee on Wednesday, and early indicators suggest it will have a swift progression through Parliament, as it attracted support from all three government parties and opposition party CSV.
Conservative party ADR spoke out against the bill, but have just 3 representatives in the Chamber.
According to Luxemburger Wort, a vote on the bill is cleared to take place at some point before the summer.
If the bill passes, Luxembourg will be the eighth EU country to recognise same-sex marriage – following the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Portugal, Denmark, France and the UK.
Prime Minister Xavier Bettel previously set a target of 2014 for same-sex marriage to be introduced.
He said: “Gay weddings with be done forthly.
“At the moment in Luxembourg, we have to go through the situation of weddings, religion and divorce laws. But I don’t think it’ll be in the next five years – it’ll be next year.”
