Czech President Milos Zeman vows to block same-sex marriages

Same-sex marriage is now legal in some 30 countries worldwide, including most of Western Europe

Czech President Milos Zeman said on Tuesday that he is ready to veto, if approved by parliament, proposed legislation that would give same-sex couples in the country the right to hold civil weddings.

The bill drafted by lawmakers from across the political spectrum was submitted to the Czech Parliament’s lower house on Tuesday, but no date has been set for the beginning of its debate.

It is strongly opposed by the Christian Democrats, a member of the governing five-party coalition, and by the opposition Freedom and Direct Democracy, an anti-migrant and anti-Muslim populist party.

“I’d like to announce that if I really receive such a law to sign I will veto it,” Mr. Zeman said on Tuesday after meeting his Hungarian counterpart Katalin Novak.

Mr. Zeman noted that the Czech state already enables civil unions for same-sex couples, “But a family is a union between a man and a woman. Full stop.”

The Czech president is known for derogatory comments about the LGBTQ community.

A majority of all lawmakers in the lower house can override the presidential veto. The Czech presidency is a largely ceremonial post.