Tag Archives: Europe

Via the Guardian: Several major European cities ground to a halt on Wednesday as licensed taxi drivers took to the streets in mass protests against the smartphone taxi app Uber. Demonstrations in London, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, Milan and Rome caused travel chaos and long tailbacks, as taxi drivers protested against the app, which they argue is unregulated and threatens …

“While the U.S. seems bound and determined to destroy natural marriage and family, other nations around the world have figured out that radically deconstructing these fundamental cornerstone institutions – institutions necessary to the survival of any healthy society – will have devastating effects in the long-term. Slovakia is the latest such nation. Lawmakers there have constitutionally banned counterfeit ‘same-sex marriage.’ …

Yesterday Madonna today took a swipe at France’s neo-Nazi National Front Party, which last week won numerous seats in the European Parliament. Today the National Front hit back. France’s National Front on Tuesday branded Madonna a “Granny Gaga” after the global pop icon became embroiled in a new row with the resurgent far right party. Madonna had enraged the FN …

Same-sex marriage will likely come to Luxembourg this summer after being delayed by a change in government. Justice Minister Félix Braz announced the news this week, saying he hoped it would be finally made law after years of delays. Drawn up by the former government in 2010, the same-sex marriage draft law was due to be voted on late last …

Luxembourg’s Xavier Bettel is about to join Belgium’s Elio Di Rupo as one of Europe’s two currently serving out prime ministers. Via Buzzfeed: Currently the Mayor of Luxembourg City, the 40-year old been formally designated as “formateur” by Grand Duke Henri, the country’s head of state. This means he’s in charge of forming a coalition government with the Greens and …

We still don’t know exactly when marriages will commence in England and Wales, but some are saying it will be mid-2014.  Images via Wikipedia.

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that it is legal to discipline employees for refusing to provide services to same-sex couples on the basis of religious objections. The ruling came in the cases of three British Christians who had refused to perform relationship counseling or conduct civil partnership ceremonies. Tuesday’s decision was welcomed by the National Secular Society. …

ILGA-Europe has issued its annual overview of LGBT rights. Although it does not yet have full marriage equality, the United Kingdom received the highest rating of the 49 nations in the report, earning a 77% score. Russia got the lowest score at 7%.   Via Pink News: Among the EU member states causing major concern are Hungary and Greece. The report …

The European Court of Human Rights has upheld Britain’s ban on religion-based anti-gay discrimination. The Strasbourg court examined four cases brought by Christians, including two who argued their beliefs allowed them to refuse a service to same-sex couples. In the first case, Lillian Ladele was a civil registrar in London. She was dismissed because she refused officiating at civil partnership …

The Slovakian Parliament today rejected a civil partnerships bill after hearing strong opposition from the Catholic Church. During two days of heated debate, conservatives accused the opposition of blasphemy, and said granting same-sex relationships equivalent legal status as heterosexual marriage was against traditional family values and a risk for society. Only 14 of 129 deputies present voted to send the …

Gay marriage will result in more illegitimate children!

Italian soccer star Antonio Cassano has been fined €15,000 after telling the press that he hoped that there were no gay players on his championship team. Cassano is known for stripping to his underwear after a win. Pink News reports: UEFA said today: “Following the opening of disciplinary proceedings against Italy’s Antonio Cassano for a discriminatory press statement (Art. 11bis …

The European Commission has issued a statement declaring that prospective member nations of the European Union must honor LGBT rights for admittance. “Rights of LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] people thus form an integral part of both the Copenhagen political criteria for accession and the EU legal framework on combatting discrimination. They are closely monitored by the EU commission, …

As I mentioned two weeks ago, upon the election of President Francois Hollande and the following landslide of Socialists into the national legislature, same-sex marriage was all but guaranteed for France. Today the French government officially set the timetable. “Within a year, people of the same sex will be able to marry and adopt children together,” Dominique Bertinotti, junior minister …

Source.

So says a new poll released by Pew: Support for Obama’s re-election is especially high in Europe, Japan and Brazil – all areas where his image remains generally positive. About nine-in-ten in France and Germany think the U.S. leader deserves a second term. About seven-in-ten in Britain, Spain, Italy and the Czech Republic agree. Even in Greece and Poland, two …

Via Andrew Sullivan.

With France to join shortly, it appears. Via Wikipedia.

In a surprising blow to Europe’s same-sex marriage movement, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that gay people have no inherent right to the same civil marriage that their neighbors do. The ruling came in a case in which two French lesbians petitioned the court to jointly adopt a child as a married couple. With their heads up …

British Prime Minister David Cameron has refused to sign on to the just-struck pact to save the Euro. All 17 nations that use the Euro have signed on. Cameron said Britain refused to sacrifice sovereignty to save the euro, remaining outside an agreement by European nations to tighten budget rules. Cameron broke ranks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German …