In a significant milestone, Estonia has become the first Baltic state to legalize same-sex marriages. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas announced the “historic decision,” stating that same-sex couples in Estonia will be able to marry starting from 2024.
This achievement makes Estonia the pioneering country in the Baltics, as well as in Eastern and Central Europe. Unlike other nations in the region, such as Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, and Latvia, which have defined marriage constitutionally as the union between a man and a woman, Estonia has embraced marriage equality. Same-sex marriage is already recognized in Nordic countries, Western European countries, and Slovenia.
In the Czech Republic, registered partnerships are available for same-sex couples. Although there were discussions in the Czech Parliament regarding a potential amendment to legalize same-sex marriage, a vote has not taken place in either the previous or current legislative session.
