Will Italy be next for same-sex marriage?

Although calls for a national vote in Australia have been ruled out by PM Tony Abbott, it appears Italy may follow Ireland as the next country to introduce same-sex marriage.

Italy remains one of the only Western countries yet to legislate on same-sex marriage, and like Ireland, is overwhelming Catholic, with 81% of the population identifying as such (compared with 84% in Ireland). Now, Ireland’s dramatic rejection of the Church’s lead on gay rights could well open the way for Italy to do the same.

Many Italian newspapers discussed the prospect in Sunday editions. La Repubblica reported that privately, the Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has now recognised that the issue of civil unions in Italy can no longer be put off in the wake of Ireland’s vote.

Many of his peers have come out in favour of fast track reform on Twitter, including his fellow Democratic Party leader Roberto Speranza, who tweeted that the Irish vote was ‘a joy’, adding, “Now it is Italy’s turn”.

Laura Boldrini, who speaker of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, also congratulated Ireland on Twitter. “It is time that Italy has a civil unions law” she wrote, adding, “To be European means to recognize rights.”

Italy’s proposed civil union act would be similar to Germany’s, and could be on the table by the end of this year. Quite how the Catholic Church would deal with this prospect – effectively on their own home turf – remains to be seen, but it appears Ireland’s vote has given hope to other Catholic majority countries.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, a ruling from the Supreme Court expected in June could see marriage equality brought in to the United States, which would contribute hugely to a sense of global change on the issue.