Same-sex marriage in the European Union
Encyclopedia
Debate has occurred throughout Europe
over proposals to legalize same-sex marriage
as well as civil union
s and registered partnerships.
Currently 22 of the 51 countries in Europe recognize some type of same-sex unions, among them a majority of members of the European Union. Seven European countries legally recognize same-sex marriage, namely Belgium
, Iceland
, the Netherlands
, Norway
, Portugal
, Spain
and Sweden
. An additional fifteen have a form of civil union
, registered partnership or unregistered cohabitation
. Several countries currently consider improving same-sex union recognition.
The constitutions of Belarus
, Bulgaria
, Hungary
, Latvia
, Lithuania
, Moldova
, Montenegro
, Poland
, Serbia
and Ukraine
define marriage as a union between a man and woman.
The government of Luxembourg
has confirmed its intention to allow same-sex couples to marry. On July 9, 2010, the government accepted the bill for legalization. On August 10, the bill was submitted to the parliament.
In Finland
the Minister of Justice, Tuija Brax
, has asked the justice ministry to prepare a report on gender-neutral marriage law, paving the way for a bill after Finnish parliamentary election, 2011
. According to her, same-sex marriages could be legal in Finland by 2012.
On 2 September 2011, the Scottish Government launched their consultation on whether marriage in Scotland should be allowed for same-sex couples through a civil or religious ceremony, and whether a religious ceremony should be allowed for civil partnership. The Government declared that they were minded to allow marriage for same-sex couples. This followed the publication of the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey
for 2010 which revealed that almost two-thirds of people (61%) supported same-sex marriage , up from 41% in 2002.
On 16 September 2011, the UK Government announced plans to start a consultation on Same-Sex Civil Marriage within England and Wales, with the remit of the Consultation to be to examine how this can be introduced, rather than whether it should be introduced. Accordingly, Same-Sex Civil Marriage would be legislated for in England and Wales by the 2015 General Election
.
Greece
, Poland
and Romania
are considering legalization of civil union or registered partnership. The government of Malta
plans to introduce unregistered cohabitation. Civil partnership legislation in British crown territory of Jersey
has passed in the parliament and now awaits being signing into law.
On September 17, 2010 the minister of Justice of Greece
announced that a special committee had been formed to prepare a registered partnership law that would include both same-sex and different-sex couples.
In March 2011, the SLD
intends to submit to the Polish
Parliament a draft law on “registered relationship”, which will regulate the relationship of same-sex couples. This project has already been prepared. Prime Minister Donald Tusk
of the ruling Civic Platform
suggested that the matter be addressed following the October parliamentary election
.
Debate has occurred throughout the European Union over a proposal which would require each member to legally recognize each other's same-sex marriages as well as any member's civil union
s and registered partnerships.
(82%), Sweden
(71%), Denmark
, (69%), Spain
(66%), Belgium
(65%), Luxembourg
(58%), Finland
(54%), Germany
(52%) and the Czech Republic
(52%). However, other polls have also placed Germany and France
between 54% to 65%, the UK at 61%.
After the approval of same-sex marriage in Portugal in January 2010, 52% of the Portuguese population stated that they were in favor of the legislation. In 2008 58% of the Norwegian voters supported the Marriage Act, which was introduced in the same year, and 31 percent were against it. In January 2010 41.0% of Italians respondents supported same-sex marriage.
In Ireland, a 2008 survey revealed 84% of people supported civil unions for same-sex couples (and 58% for same-sex marriage), while a 2010 survey showed 67% supported same-sex marriage by 2011 this figure had risen to 73% in support.
In comparison, support tends to be the lowest from former-Communist states, such as Latvia
, Lithuania
and Poland
(with the exception of the supportive majority atheist Czech Republic, as mentioned above). The average percentage of support for same-sex marriage in the European Union as of 2006 when it had 25 members is 44%, which had descended from a previous percentage of 53%, due to more socially conservative nations joining the EU.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
over proposals to legalize same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
as well as civil union
Civil union
A civil union, also referred to as a civil partnership, is a legally recognized form of partnership similar to marriage. Beginning with Denmark in 1989, civil unions under one name or another have been established by law in many developed countries in order to provide same-sex couples rights,...
s and registered partnerships.
Currently 22 of the 51 countries in Europe recognize some type of same-sex unions, among them a majority of members of the European Union. Seven European countries legally recognize same-sex marriage, namely Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. An additional fifteen have a form of civil union
Civil union
A civil union, also referred to as a civil partnership, is a legally recognized form of partnership similar to marriage. Beginning with Denmark in 1989, civil unions under one name or another have been established by law in many developed countries in order to provide same-sex couples rights,...
, registered partnership or unregistered cohabitation
Cohabitation
Cohabitation usually refers to an arrangement whereby two people decide to live together on a long-term or permanent basis in an emotionally and/or sexually intimate relationship. The term is most frequently applied to couples who are not married...
. Several countries currently consider improving same-sex union recognition.
The constitutions of Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
, Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
define marriage as a union between a man and woman.
Current situation
| Status | Country | Year of implementation | EU European Union The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958... member |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marriage (7 states) |
 BelgiumSame-sex marriage in Belgium On June 1, 2003, Belgium became the second country in the world to legally recognize same-sex marriage, with some restrictions. Originally, Belgium allowed the marriages of foreign same-sex couples only if their country of origin also allowed these unions... |
2003 |  |
 Iceland |
2010 |  |
|
 NetherlandsSame-sex marriage in the Netherlands Same-sex marriage has been legal in the Netherlands since 1 April 2001... |
2001 | |
|
 NorwaySame-sex marriage in Norway Same-sex marriage became legal in Norway on January 1, 2009 when a gender neutral marriage bill was enacted after being passed by the Norwegian legislature in June 2008... |
2009 | |
|
 PortugalSame-sex marriage in Portugal Same-sex marriage has been legal in Portugal since June 5, 2010. The government of Prime Minister José Sócrates introduced a bill for legalization in December 2009; it was passed by the Assembly of the Republic in February 2010. The bill was declared legally valid by the Portuguese Constitutional... |
2010 | |
|
 SpainSame-sex marriage in Spain Same-sex marriage in Spain has been legal since July 3, 2005. In 2004, the nation's newly elected social democratic government, led by President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, began a campaign for its legalization, including the right of adoption by same-sex couples... |
2005 | |
|
 SwedenSame-sex marriage in Sweden Same-sex marriage in Sweden has been legal since 1 May 2009, following the adoption of a new, gender-neutral law on marriage by the Swedish parliament on 1 April 2009, making Sweden the seventh country in the world to open marriage to same sex couples nationwide... |
2009 | |
|
| Civil unions and registered partnerships (14 states) |
 AndorraRecognition of same-sex unions in Andorra In March 2005, the Principality of Andorra legalised the stable union of a couple.This new law took effect without the signature of the episcopal co-prince Joan Enric, the current Bishop of Urgell... |
2005 | |
 Austria |
2010 | |
|
 Czech Republic |
2006 | |
|
 Denmark |
1989 | |
|
 Finland |
2002 | |
|
 FrancePacte civil de solidarité In France, a pacte civil de solidarité commonly known as a PACS /paks/ , is a form of civil union between two adults for organising their joint life. It brings rights and responsibilities, but less so than marriage... |
1999 | |
|
 Germany |
2001 | |
|
 HungaryRecognition of same-sex unions in Hungary Hungary provides registered partnerships to same-sex couples since 1 July 2009. This institution offers nearly all the benefits of marriage. The unregistered cohabitation of same-sex couples was recognised and placed on equal footing with the unregistered cohabitation of different-sex couples in... |
2009 | |
|
 Ireland |
2011 | |
|
 Liechtenstein |
2011 | |
|
 Luxembourg |
2004 | |
|
 Slovenia |
2006 | |
|
 Switzerland |
2007 | |
|
 United Kingdom |
2005 | |
|
| Unregistered cohabitation (1 state) |
 Croatia |
2003 | |
| No recognition (29 states) |
 AlbaniaRecognition of same-sex unions in Albania Same-sex unions are not currently recognized in Albania.Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha announced in a cabinet meeting on 29 July 2009 that the government would push for a law that recognises marriages between partners of the same sex... |
— | |
 Armenia |
— | |
|
 Azerbaijan |
— | |
|
 Belarus |
— | |
|
 Bosnia and Herzegovina |
— | |
|
 BulgariaRecognition of same-sex unions in Bulgaria Bulgaria does not recognize any type of same-sex unions.In 2008 and 2009 there were many debates on several national TV stations on the subject with the participation of politicians, religious leaders, gay activists and others individuals.... |
— | |
|
 Cyprus |
— | |
|
 Estonia |
— | |
|
 Georgia |
— | |
|
 Greece |
— | |
|
 Italy |
— | |
|
 KazakhstanLGBT rights in Kazakhstan Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons in Kazakhstan may face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is legal in Kazakhstan, but same-sex couples and households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for the same legal... |
— | |
|
 KosovoLGBT rights in Kosovo Due to the political instability from the 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence, the status of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender rights in Kosovo is presently unclear.-Law regarding same-sex sexual activity:... |
— | |
|
 Latvia |
— | |
|
 Lithuania |
— | |
|
 MacedoniaLGBT rights in the Republic of Macedonia Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons in the Republic of Macedonia may face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents... |
— | |
|
 MaltaRecognition of same-sex unions in Malta Malta does not currently legally recognise same-sex unions. However, in the past few years, there is increasing debate on the issue.-Political party viewpoints:... |
— | |
|
 Moldova |
— | |
|
 Monaco |
— | |
|
 Montenegro |
— | |
|
 Poland |
— | |
|
 Romania |
— | |
|
 RussiaRecognition of same-sex unions in Russia Russia recognizes neither same-sex marriage nor any other form of civil union for same-sex couples. However, gay activists claim that a same-sex marriage contracted abroad can legally be recognized in Russia... |
— | |
|
 SlovakiaRecognition of same-sex unions in Slovakia There is no legal recognition of same-sex couples in Slovakia. Bills to recognise same-sex partnerships were introduced twice, in 1997 and in 2000, but were rejected... |
— | |
|
 San Marino |
— | |
|
 SerbiaRecognition of same-sex unions in Serbia Serbia currently does not have any form of legal recognition available for same-sex couples. Same-sex marriage was constitutionally banned in 2006 when a new constitution was drafted that explicitly defined marriage as "a union between a man and a woman" — found in Article 62... |
— | |
|
 Turkey |
— | |
|
 Ukraine |
— | |
|
 Vatican City |
— | |
Future legislation
Luxembourg, Denmark, the United Kingdom and Finland have confirmed their intention to vote on same-sex marriage bills.The government of Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
has confirmed its intention to allow same-sex couples to marry. On July 9, 2010, the government accepted the bill for legalization. On August 10, the bill was submitted to the parliament.
In Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
the Minister of Justice, Tuija Brax
Tuija Brax
Tuija Kaarina Brax is a Finnish politician and former Minister of Justice. She is a Member of Finnish Parliament, representing the Green League. She was first elected to the Parliament in 1995...
, has asked the justice ministry to prepare a report on gender-neutral marriage law, paving the way for a bill after Finnish parliamentary election, 2011
Finnish parliamentary election, 2011
An election to the Eduskunta was held on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%....
. According to her, same-sex marriages could be legal in Finland by 2012.
On 2 September 2011, the Scottish Government launched their consultation on whether marriage in Scotland should be allowed for same-sex couples through a civil or religious ceremony, and whether a religious ceremony should be allowed for civil partnership. The Government declared that they were minded to allow marriage for same-sex couples. This followed the publication of the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey
Scottish Social Attitudes Survey
The Scottish Social Attitudes Survey, started in 1999, is an annual survey of public opinion in Scotland, funded by the public purse.Conducted by the Scottish branch of the National Centre for Social Research, in conjunction with the Unit for the Study of Government in Scotland at the University of...
for 2010 which revealed that almost two-thirds of people (61%) supported same-sex marriage , up from 41% in 2002.
On 16 September 2011, the UK Government announced plans to start a consultation on Same-Sex Civil Marriage within England and Wales, with the remit of the Consultation to be to examine how this can be introduced, rather than whether it should be introduced. Accordingly, Same-Sex Civil Marriage would be legislated for in England and Wales by the 2015 General Election
Next United Kingdom general election
The United Kingdom general election of 2010 was held on Thursday 6 May 2010 to elect members to the House of Commons. The election took place in 650 constituencies across the United Kingdom under the first-past-the-post system. None of the parties achieved the 326 seats needed for an overall majority...
.
Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
are considering legalization of civil union or registered partnership. The government of Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
plans to introduce unregistered cohabitation. Civil partnership legislation in British crown territory of Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
has passed in the parliament and now awaits being signing into law.
On September 17, 2010 the minister of Justice of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
announced that a special committee had been formed to prepare a registered partnership law that would include both same-sex and different-sex couples.
In March 2011, the SLD
Democratic Left Alliance
Democratic Left Alliance is a social-democratic political party in Poland. Formed in 1991 as a coalition of centre-left parties, it was formally established as a single party on 15 April 1999. It is currently the third largest opposition party in Poland....
intends to submit to the Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
Parliament a draft law on “registered relationship”, which will regulate the relationship of same-sex couples. This project has already been prepared. Prime Minister Donald Tusk
Donald Tusk
Donald Franciszek Tusk is a Polish politician who has been Prime Minister of Poland since 2007. He was a co-founder and is chairman of the Civic Platform party....
of the ruling Civic Platform
Civic Platform
Civic Platform , abbreviated to PO, is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Poland. It has been the major coalition partner in Poland's government since the 2007 general election, with party leader Donald Tusk as Prime Minister of Poland and Bronisław Komorowski as President...
suggested that the matter be addressed following the October parliamentary election
Polish parliamentary election, 2011
A parliamentary election to both the Senate and the Sejm was held in Poland on 9 October 2011. The previous election, in 2007, resulted in a Civic Platform–Polish People's Party government...
.
Debate has occurred throughout the European Union over a proposal which would require each member to legally recognize each other's same-sex marriages as well as any member's civil union
Civil union
A civil union, also referred to as a civil partnership, is a legally recognized form of partnership similar to marriage. Beginning with Denmark in 1989, civil unions under one name or another have been established by law in many developed countries in order to provide same-sex couples rights,...
s and registered partnerships.
Public opinion
Public support for same-sex marriage from EU member states as measured from a 2006 poll is the greatest in the NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
(82%), Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
(71%), Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, (69%), Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
(66%), Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
(65%), Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
(58%), Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
(54%), Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(52%) and the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
(52%). However, other polls have also placed Germany and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
between 54% to 65%, the UK at 61%.
After the approval of same-sex marriage in Portugal in January 2010, 52% of the Portuguese population stated that they were in favor of the legislation. In 2008 58% of the Norwegian voters supported the Marriage Act, which was introduced in the same year, and 31 percent were against it. In January 2010 41.0% of Italians respondents supported same-sex marriage.
In Ireland, a 2008 survey revealed 84% of people supported civil unions for same-sex couples (and 58% for same-sex marriage), while a 2010 survey showed 67% supported same-sex marriage by 2011 this figure had risen to 73% in support.
In comparison, support tends to be the lowest from former-Communist states, such as Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
(with the exception of the supportive majority atheist Czech Republic, as mentioned above). The average percentage of support for same-sex marriage in the European Union as of 2006 when it had 25 members is 44%, which had descended from a previous percentage of 53%, due to more socially conservative nations joining the EU.