Slovakia : The Bill on Homosexual Partnership Rejected
On November 6, the Parliament of Slovakia rejected the law that would authorize official partnership for same-sex couples, with a vote of 129 to 14.
The national counselors of the government party Smer, who make up a large majority of Parliament, and those of the Christian Democratic Movement rejected the bill launched by the Slovakian opposition party Liberty and Solidarity (SaS).
The Catholic bishops of Slovakia had declared that official partnership was “against Christian teaching,” and if this law were to be passed, “no Christian could continue to hold a post as mayor or officer of the Civil State if he refused to recognize an official partnership between two persons of the same sex.”
Ever since the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, Slovakia has been successively governed by six coalition governments, often torn between different movements. In 2012, the legislative elections allowed for the first time a single party, Robert Fico’s social-democratic party Smer, to govern without forming a coalition.
At the anticipated legislative elections of March 10, 2012, this party obtained an absolute majority in the National Council, winning 44.4% of the votes (83 seats out of 150).
The Republic of Slovakia has a majority of Roman Catholics, who represent almost 70% of the population. (5.5 million inhabitants).
Sources: apic/France diplomatie – DICI#265, Nov. 23, 2012
