The government has placed its trust in the House on the bill that introduces civil unions in our country. This was announced by the Minister of Reforms, Maria Elena Boschi.
The vote in the Deputies Hall is scheduled for today and will be decisive, because the provision has already been approved in the Senate. Explanations of vote will begin at 12, call her at 30pm.
On behalf of the Government, I have put the issue of trust on #civil unions.
No more referrals, this is it #the right time— maria elena woods (@meb) 10 May 2016
The executive's decision to trust has aroused strong protests from the opposition, even insults have not been lacking. “The majority applauds even when the government places its trust – said Massimiliano Fedriga, group leader of the League -. You are serfs who do everything to be re-nominated".
According to Alfonso Bonafede, of the 5 Star Movement, "Parliament is a doormat for the Government to wipe your feet on".
Antonio Palmieri, of Forza Italia, recalls that “freedom of conscience was promised on this bill. Freedom has been taken, let's hope that our conscience will show itself in the vote”.
Minister Boschi replies that "the law on civil unions is a historic result for our country, of which we must be very proud"; as for trust, "it has a political significance: this law is a fundamental element of the government's agenda".
Prime Minister Renzi, on the other hand, speaks on Twitter of "a day of celebration".
A day of celebration #Alessia #civil unions https://t.co/wHlO3AIkkx pic.twitter.com/dCf6n3IgiG
- Matteo Renzi (@matteorenzi) 11 May 2016
THE FUNDAMENTAL POINTS OF THE LAW
Constitution of the civil union. Like marriage, a civil union is formed “in front of the registrar and in the presence of two witnesses”. The deed is recorded “in the civil status archive”.
Mutual obligations. "From the union derives the mutual obligation of moral and material assistance and cohabitation". There is no obligation of fidelity, as in marriage. “Both parties are required, each in relation to their substances and their capacity for professional and domestic work, to contribute to common needs”.
family life. “The parties agree among themselves the address of family life and fix the common residence; each of the parties has the power to implement the agreed policy”. The paragraph follows the rules of family law.
Property regime. The ordinary regime is the community of assets, unless the parties agree on a different property agreement.
Pension, inheritance and Tfr. The survivor's pension and the accrued severance pay are due to the partner of the union. For the succession, the rules in force for marriage apply: the "legitimate", i.e. 50%, goes to the surviving partner, and the remainder goes to any children.
Dissolution. The provisions of the 1970 divorce law apply "as compatible", but the period of separation will not be mandatory, as in the dissolution of marriage.
Adoptions. The rules on stepchild adoption have been removed. The following wording was inserted in the maxi-amendment: "The provisions and permitted provisions regarding adoptions by current legislation remain unchanged", which should allow individual courts, through jurisprudential channels, to grant stepchild adoption to specific individual cases.
Home. If one of the partners dies, the other has the right to take over the lease. If the deceased owns the house, the surviving partner has the right to continue living in that house for between two and five years, depending on the length of the cohabitation. De facto cohabitation is eligible, like marriage, to be included in the rankings for social housing.
Food. In the event of termination of cohabitation, "the judge establishes the right of the cohabitant to receive alimony from the other cohabitant if he is in need and is unable to provide for his own maintenance". Alimony is assigned in proportion to the duration of the cohabitation.
Assistance in prison and hospital. Cohabiting partners have the same rights as spouses in assisting their partner in prison and in hospital.
Organ donation. Each cohabitant “can designate the other as his representative with full or limited powers in the event of an illness involving inability to understand and want, for decisions on matters of health; and in the event of death, as regards organ donation, methods of treatment of the body and funeral celebrations”.
Last name. The parties, “for the duration of the civil union, can decide to assume a common surname by choosing it among their surnames. The party may put his own surname before or after the common surname".
Convenience in fact. They are those between "two adults permanently united by emotional ties as a couple and by mutual moral and material assistance, not bound by kinship, affinity or adoption, marriage or civil union".
