Civil partnerships in Italy: ten years on from the Cirinnà Act

Returning to the data on civil partnerships, the geographical distribution remains highly uneven, with a higher incidence in metropolitan areas, whilst in terms of composition, the prevalence of unions between men is confirmed, accounting for approximately 55 per cent of the total in 2024. Overall, ten years after their introduction, civil partnerships appear to be a legal institution that is fully integrated into the legal system, but numerically limited and now having reached a state of structural equilibrium, with no further signs of significant growth in the short term.

At European level, the recognition of same-sex marriage reflects a gradual but uneven evolution in legislation. The model is now fully established in the countries of Northern Europe, with Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden among the first to have introduced full marriage equality. In Western and Central Europe, legalisation is equally widespread, with Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands having progressively extended equal marriage rights over the last two decades. In Southern Europe, the process has followed a more recent but now stable trajectory, with Spain, Portugal, Greece and Malta among the countries that have adopted full equality. These are joined by further states such as Austria, Estonia and Slovenia, which complete a European picture characterised by the widespread adoption of equal marriage, albeit with significant differences still remaining between the various regions of the continent.

The case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union has marked a further step forward in the recognition of same-sex unions in cross-border cases. In a 2025 judgement, the Court ruled that Member States are required to recognise the essential legal effects of a same-sex marriage validly contracted in another EU country, in particular for the purposes of exercising the right to free movement and the protection of family life. However, this principle does not introduce a general obligation for automatic registration in national registers, nor does it require individual Member States to amend their domestic legislation on marriage, which remains a matter of national competence. The European legal framework is therefore confirmed as being based on a distinction between the recognition of legal effects for citizens moving within the EU and the autonomy of national legal systems in regulating marriage.

There is no shortage in the Italian Parliament of draft bills moving towards equal marriage, but at the moment the issue does not appear to be on the political agenda. ‘I strongly supported the civil partnerships bill and helped to oversee its passage through Parliament on behalf of the government. We can certainly say that it was a success: thanks to it and to Matteo Renzi, who called a vote of confidence on this bill, same-sex partnerships have become a normal and recognised reality. After 10 long years,’ adds Scalfarotto, ‘the time is therefore ripe to take the next step: to achieve equal marriage, that is, identical rules for all couples, regardless of gender. Three years ago, I tabled a bill in the Senate, which I now wish to reintroduce. Equal marriage is now recognised in 22 European countries; Greece and Slovenia have also recently adopted it, and the Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that all countries where no such law yet exists must recognise same-sex marriages legally contracted in another Member State. Italia is the only country in Western Europe and the only founding member of the European Union where marriage is prohibited for couples consisting of two men or two women. It is time to put an end to this discrimination.”

Alessandro Zan, Head of Rights at the PD Secretariat and MEP, shares this view: “The law on civil partnerships is ‘an important step forward for civilisation, which has enabled us to take a step forward on the path towards civil rights in our country. But today, that is no longer enough. It is important to go further: to legalise same-sex marriage and reform family law, fully recognising the families that already exist. We need to guarantee adoption rights for single people and same-sex couples and allow access to medically assisted reproduction. There is a bill on this subject that I have co-sponsored with Elly Schlein. This is where we want to start in the next parliamentary term, to complete a journey towards equality that can no longer be postponed.”

And it is not just a law on equal marriage that is missing; Parliament has not yet passed a law against homotransphobia: ‘On 11 May 2016, as Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, it was a moving moment to declare “the Chamber approves”, giving the final green light to the Cirinnà Bill: same-sex civil partnerships were, at last, a reality. A law that brought Italia closer to the most progressive countries in terms of civil rights but which, above all, provided a response long awaited by LGBTQIA+ people who were demanding – and continue to demand – equality and parity. Ten years on, we know that this was only the first step and that many more still lie ahead: equal marriage, the recognition of parenthood at birth, a law against homophobic, lesbophobic and transphobic hate, and a law on self-determination for trans and non-binary people. ‘The road ahead is long, and we intend to travel its entire length,’ emphasises Laura Boldrini, a PD MP and Chair of the Chamber of Deputies’ Standing Committee on Human Rights Worldwide.