Gay marriage registration "illegal" - Alfano

Alfano, Minister of the Interior

  ROME – Minister of the Interior Angelino Alfano said Tuesday that registrations of same-sex marriages performed abroad with local Italian authorities are illegal and will be annulled.

  His statement follows the decision of city halls in Reggio Emilia and Bologna in early September to allow same-sex couples who marry abroad to record the union on the local registry.

  The mayor of Bologna, Virginio Merola, hoped that this step forward would “confirm that there is a discordance between European norms and those of our country. This situation should convince parliament to approve a law guaranteeing rights to this group of people.”

  However, Alfano dispelled doubt as to the legality of the city councils’ decision in a radio interview with RTL 105.5 on Tuesday.

  He said, “The issue is simple: all the evidence shows that the directives given, with the mayors’ approval, which allow civil offices to register marriages performed abroad between people of the same sex, don’t conform to Italian law.”

  “In Italy same-sex marriages are not possible, so if you marry someone of the same sex, these marriages cannot be registered with the Italian state, for the simple reason that it is not permitted by the law.”

  The minister continued to say that all couples who had taken such action would have their marriage removed from the official register. Moreover, if local authorities delayed in annulling the procedures, the government would intervene. 

A couple registering their marriage in Bologna