January 26, 2008
More than two years after the current government legalized same-sex marriage in Spain, the vast majority of people in the European country support the course of action, according to a poll by Instituto Opina released by Cadena Ser. 74.5 per cent of respondents believe the law should remain as it is now, while 18.1 per cent want to repeal it.
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was sworn in as president of the government in April 2004, following a victory for the Socialist Worker’s Party (PSOE) in the legislative ballot. The conservative Popular Party (PP) had administered the government under José María Aznar since 1996.
In April 2005, the PSOE-dominated Congress of Deputies approved a bill that would allow gay and lesbian couples to marry, divorce and adopt children. In June, the bill became law after a 187-147 vote. Spain became the third country in Europe—after Belgium and the Netherlands—to permit same-sex marriage.
Same-sex marriage is also legal in Canada and South Africa, and at least 18 countries offer some form of legal recognition to same sex unions.
On Jan. 21, Zapatero recalled the moment when his government legalized same-sex marriage, and called it a show of "respect" for diversity. The president said that—if re-elected in the March general election—he would remain "loyal to those values" and declared: "There is not only one family model, but free families that we must respect. (...) We will not take one step backwards in our defence for tolerance and freedom."
Polling Data
Do you think the law that allows homosexual marriage should be repealed?
Yes 18.1%
No 74.5%
Not sure 6.2%
Source: Instituto Opina / Cadena Ser Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 Spanish adults, conducted on Jan. 8, 2008. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.
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