Large Majority Of Slovak Lawmakers Approve Constitutional Gay Marriage Ban
- By
- On Top Magazine Staff
- | June 06, 2014
A large majority of Slovak lawmakers on Wednesday voted for a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to heterosexual couples.
According to gay weekly the Washington Blade, 102 parliamentarians supported the amendment, with only 18 voting against it in the 150-member parliament.
The amendment was drafted by leftist Prime Minister Robert Fico's ruling Direction-Social Democracy party.
“The marriage amendment will not bring about any drastic changes, it only seals in the constitution what is already defined by law,” said Fico.
Slovakia is the latest European nation to approved a same-sex marriage ban in recent years.
Last year, Croatian voters approved a similar constitutional ban at the polls. Lawmakers responded by approving a civil unions law for gay couples. A new constitution in Hungary, which took effect in 2012, also defines marriage as only between a man and a woman.