PARIS – France's law prohibiting gay marriage does not violate the constitution, the country's top constitutional watchdog ruled Friday, all but challenging parliament to debate overturning the ban.
The decision by the Constitutional Council puts the politically sensitive issue at the doorstep of French President Nicolas Sarkozy's governing conservatives, ratcheting up the pressure as they face presidential and legislative elections next year. Gay rights activists quickly condemned the ruling.
The issue has bared a contradiction about France: The country retains a conservative strain on family values, but its image is often linked to love and romance — and polls suggest openness to gay marriage is growing.
We'll see where this goes. The trend in Europe on this issue over the past decade or so doesn't look too good...
No comments:
Post a Comment