(see related)
Premier Matteo Renzi on Wednesday
defended his government's decision to put a bill regulating
civil unions, including same-sex ones, to a confidence vote in
the Lower House.
He said the confidence vote to speed up the bill's passage
was needed "because it was unacceptable to have any more delays
after years of failed attempts".
The civil unions bill will extend to committed gay couples
some of the same rights and protections currently enjoyed by
heterosexual married couples, such as the right to receive a
deceased partners' pension.
It will fill a legislative vacuum, as Italy is the only
western European country not to have either legalised gay
marriage or recognised civil unions between same-sex couples.
The confidence vote is set to take place at 14:00 and the
bill is expected to be definitively approved by the end of the
day.
Many opposition groups expressed outrage at the decision
to put an ethical issue like this to a confidence vote and on
Tuesday Nunzio Galantino, the secretary of Italian bishops
conference CEI, said it was a "defeat for everyone".
Justice Minister Andrea Orlando told the Catholic Church
on Wednesday that the rights granted in the soon-to-be-passed
bill were long overdue.
"I respect the CEI but I believe that decision was
necessary and a little tardy with respect to how society has
developed," Orlando said.
On Facebook, Renzi said that Wednesday was: "a day of
celebration for many. For those who finally feel recognised. For
those who, after years, are being given back rights that are so
civil that they need no other adjective".
The bill was stripped of the controversial stepchild
adoption provision that would have enabled gays to adopt their
partner's children.
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