Kosovo parliament has rejected a draft law that would amend the Civil Code to recognise same-sex civil partnerships, resulting in disappointment from the EU.
Politicians fiercely debated the matter for several hours and only 28 out of 120 MPs supported the motion put forward by Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s government. The proposal was part of a wider reform backed from the European Union which Kosovo strives to join.
Many prominent members of Kurti’s own party voted against the bill, while most of the opposition boycotted the vote.
Labinote Demi-Murtezi, a ruling party representative, said she only “sees as acceptable the marriage of persons of opposite sex”.
“Any connection outside of this combination is considered depravity and moral degeneration,” Demi-Murtezi said during the session.
Kurti argued that human rights should belong to everyone and that registered civil unions between people of the same sex should be allowed.
Local news portal Express said that “homophobia triumphed in the Kosovo assembly”.
According to a “Citizens Mindset on Political Questions” survey, published by the Prishtina Institute for Political Studies (PIPS), Kosovo citizens hold left-leaning views with regards to the economy, but are more conservative on social matters.
Nevertheless, a 2021 poll by the organization Civil Rights Defends, found that the majority of Kosovo citizens support the rights of same-sex couples. The survey included questions on the ability of LGBTI+ persons to visit their partners in the hospital, or inherit assets in the event of a partner’s death, but no direct question on the right to marry or form civil parternships.
In early March, the European Union office in Prishtina urged parliament to pass the reform.
“Failure to adopt the civil code will have serious negative repercussions on many aspects of the life of Kosovo citizens and businesses, as well as on the overall economic development of Kosovo,” the EU office said.
