The Riigikogu, or Estonian parliament, enacted a new law legalizing same-sex marriage on Tuesday (June 20), making Estonia the first Baltic country to do so. This comes just months after the liberal coalition government of incumbent Prime Minister Kaja Kallas took office, and nine years after the country recognized same-sex civil unions. The decision also makes Estonia the second Central European country to legalize same-sex marriage, following Slovenia, which passed an amendment last year allowing same-sex couples to marry and adopt.
What happened during the election?
A marriage equality law was voted on in Estonia’s parliament and passed with a majority of 55 votes in the 101-seat parliament, with 34 votes against it. This came months after Prime Minister Kallas’ coalition of liberal and social democratic parties garnered a majority in the parliament back in March. Furthermore, the current government survived a vote of no confidence connected to the amendments. While Estonia legalized same-sex civil partnerships in 2014, it did not recognize adoption or parental recognition rights that come with marriage.
According to sources, the country’s Family Law Act will be amended 85 times, and new legislation allowing same-sex marriage contracts has been introduced. Furthermore, language in the Family Law Act will be changed from “man and woman” to “two natural persons.” The law will take effect in 2024. Notably, while same-sex marriage is legal in most Western European countries, it is not in former Soviet republics in Central Europe. “My message (to central Europe) is that it’s a difficult fight, but marriage and love is something that you have to promote,” PM Kallas told Reuters, after the vote.
She added, “We have developed a lot in those 30 years since we have freed ourselves from the (Soviet) occupation. We are equaled among same-value countries.” Meanwhile, two other Baltic nations Latvia and Lithuania have introduced bills to legalize same-sex marriage in their parliaments but are yet to move forward with any decisions.
The Estonian PM, who was also the first female leader of the country, took to Twitter and said, “It’s official: Estonia has legalized marriage equality. We join other Nordic nations with this historic decision. I’m proud of my country. We’re building a society where everyone’s rights are respected and people can love freely.”
LGBTQ+ people in Estonia
According to the Estonian Human Rights Centre, opinions towards LGBTQ+ individuals have evolved substantially since 2012. In the 1.3 million people Baltic nation, at least 53% of people have endorsed same-sex marriage in a poll done by the rights center, earlier this year. Notably, the number was up from 34% back in 2021 and also 6% more than last year. However, approximately 40% of Estonians still consider homosexuality unacceptable. The poll also indicated that same-sex marriage was opposed by the country’s ethnic-Russian minority which makes up a quarter of the country’s population with less than half (40%) favoring it.
The Ukraine war factor?
In an interview with the country’s broadcaster LRT, the president of Estonia’s parliament, Lauri Hussar said that the change in attitude towards LGBTQ+ persons can also be related to the war in Ukraine.
“I think the mood has changed also, because of what happened in Ukraine, because the war brought us to the real problems and what is really important for us,” said Hussar, as quoted by Euronews.
