Premier Matteo Renzi was on
Monday working towards a deal with junior government partner New
Centre Right (NCD) on a contested bill introducing civil unions
fopr same-sex couples after acknowledging that his Democratic
Party (PD) doesn't have the votes to get it passed on its own.
Under an agreement, the government could table a new
amendment - which would likely be put to a confidence vote -
dropping the controversial stepchild adoption provision allowing
one partner in a civil union to adopt the other partner's
biological children.
The amendment could also contain other "minor adjustments"
to the way civil unions are formulated and the rights and
responsibilities of partners, sources said.
Stepchild adoption has been the main sticking point for
NCD, Catholics within the ruling PD and opponents on the
centre-right, who fear it will pave the way for surrogate
motherhood, even though this is banned in Italy under a separate
law.
However, opponents are also concerned that civil unions
might be assimilated to marriage with the result that homosexual
couples could eventually obtain full adoption rights, among
other things.
Renzi has always pledged his support for the stepchild
adoption measure, but on Monday he told the foreign press corps
in Rome his party simply didn't have the votes.
"We can't have series A and series B children," Renzi said
as he celebrated two years in office.
However, "the PD has 112 votes in the Senate, therefore we
must make a deal."
The apparent change in stance comes after examination of
the bill stalled last week when the anti-establishment 5-Star
Movement (M5S) pulled its backing for a so-called kangaroo
amendment that would have knocked down hundreds of other similar
amendments filed by opponents of the package.
"We're not going anywhere if we continue like this," Renzi
said on Monday.
"So I hope we can wrap it up in the Senate within days,
either with a government amendment or with a deal in parliament.
"We have to end this lengthy and constant delay".
Last week family lawyers, judges and constitutional experts
said stepchild adoption was the minimum requirement for children
of gay parents today.
Under current Italian law, such children risk ending up in
foster care if their biological parent dies or becomes
incapacitated, because the surviving parent has no legal custody
rights.
Late Monday afternoon Democratic Party (PD) Senator Andrea
Marcucci appeared to confirm the policy shift.
"A full civil unions law with real rights for gay couples,"
he said in a Tweet.
"We will continue the battle on adoptions...with a (new)
bill".
His message lends weight to rumors the center-left intends
to treat adoptions in a separate bill dealing with both straight
and gay adoption rights.
On Monday Democratic Party (PD) President Matteo Orfini
also said he was in favour of stepchild adoption for same-sex
couples, but that it doesn't necessarily have to be regulated in
the civil unions bill currently before the Senate.
"I share what (Reform Undersecretary Ivan) Scalfarotto
said: better a scrapping than a fantastical rewriting of the
stepchild clause," Orfini said.
The debate around surrogacy sparked by the provision is
"complicated", he added.
"The issue must be addressed in Italy and techniques can be
studied to make it more difficult, but a European and global
battle is also needed to make it clear that the principle is
unacceptable," Orfini said.
He also admitted the PD had been "wrong" to count on the
MS5's support.
"We took up the challenge. We came to the decisive week and
with an excuse they changed their mind, maybe because of opinion
polls. At that point we found ourselves in a tricky situation
and we are at a crossroads," Orfini said.
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