“MARRIAGE is a unique bond between one man and one woman.” Politicians of the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) believe this definition of marriage should be included in Slovakia’s constitution.
On January 14 they presented their proposal to amend the text of the constitution to include this definition, in addition to the already-existing provision that says that marriage, family and parenthood are protected by law, and that the constitution particularly guarantees the protection of children and minors.
The KDH invited the head of the League Against Cancer, Eva Siracká, to present the proposal in parliament with KDH Chairman Ján Figeľ. Her involvement angered some LGBTI rights advocates.
The proposal, which the KDH plans to submit in March, needs the support of 90 MPs in order to pass in parliament. The KDH currently holds eight parliamentary seats. Figeľ said he has already approached the chairs of all parties in parliament, adding that so far the amendment has received support by Most-Híd leader Béla Bugár and head of the parliamentary social committee Ján Podmanický of the ruling Smer party.
“The proposal doesn’t change the valid legal condition; rather, it aims to enhance it from the legal point of view and to stabilise it with respect to the future and trends,” Figeľ said at a press conference on January 14, as quoted by the TASR newswire. He added that this is the party’s response to current trends in society. Figeľ argued that such definitions of marriage are also incorporated into the constitutions of Poland, Lithuania and Hungary.
The KDH is also appealing to all people, institutions, non-governmental organisations and legislators in Slovakia to join its efforts to “improve social conditions” in the country.
If such a provision were included in the constitution, it would render any other form of family, including registered partnerships for LGBTI couples, unconstitutional.
Representatives of the Iniciatíva Inakosť civic association, which promotes the rights of LGBTI citizens, wrote in a press release that the KDH’s proposal is a praiseworthy and legitimate political goal, but they are sorry that instead of proposing specific measures to support families with children, the idea has been narrowed to just one proposal – to ban same-sex marriages.
“It remains a mystery how the permanent exclusion of one group of citizens from the possibility of getting married can boost the marriage between a man and a woman,” said Martin Macko, head of the Iniciatíva Inakosť.
Macko noted that about one third of children in Slovakia are currently born to unmarried parents, and therefore the government should instead address the economic and social situations that impact all families.
