In July last year, the European
Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) rapped Italy across the knuckles for not having
either marriage or registered civil partnerships (civil unions for short)
available to same-sex couples, which it said was discriminatory as it denies
such couples the opportunity to achieve legal recognition of their
relationship.
After a fractious debate that saw PM Matteo Renzi turning the
issue into one of confidence in his government, the Italian Senate voted last
week to introduce civil unions (hitherto not on the books at all) open to both
‘hetero’ and ‘homo’ couples. The lower house of parliament will assuredly
follow suit.
