Which European countries are still lagging behind?

Greece said “yes”. Hellenic deputies on Thursday evening adopted a bill authorizing same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples, legal recognition in only a minority of countries around the world. After the implementation of the law, the Mediterranean country will become the 37th country in the world, the 16th in the European Union and the first Orthodox Christian country to legalize adoption for same-sex parents.

The map of countries that recognize this right generally overlaps with countries that legalize same-sex marriage or civil unions.

In 2001, the Netherlands was the first country to allow adoption by same-sex parents, at the same time same-sex marriage was legalized. Since then, 15 other European countries have followed suit: Belgium in 2003, Spain in 2005, Sweden four years later, Portugal in 2010, Denmark in 2012, France the following year, Luxembourg and Ireland in 2015, Malta, Germany and Finland in 2017, Austria two years later. Slovenia in 2022.

Countries outside the European Union

The latest before Greece this Thursday was Estonia in 2023. The former Soviet republic became the first Baltic country to allow same-sex marriage and enjoyed the same rights as married heterosexual couples.

Other countries in the Old Continent, but not part of the European Union, have also legalized same-sex marriage. This is the case of Switzerland in 2021, Norway in 2008 and Iceland in 2010. In June 2013, British MPs adopted a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in England and Wales. The following year, the Scottish Parliament also passed legislation allowing same-sex marriage.

There is a prohibition in the constitution

Northern Ireland then indicated that it did not intend to pass legislation to this effect. But in 2019, Westminster MPs took advantage of local political paralysis to extend abortion and same-sex marriage rights to this British province. Finally, same-sex marriage has been authorized in Andorra since February 17, 2023, as has the adoption of children by same-sex couples.

Other countries in Europe only allow civil unions. This is the case for Italy, Cyprus, Croatia, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Finally, six other countries do not recognize any form of official union for same-sex couples: Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria, Poland. These six countries, as well as Croatia, went further by banning marriage for same-sex couples in their constitutions.