President Karis has ratified the same-sex marriage law, approved by the Parliament on June 20. The leader of the government, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, the chairperson of the Estonian Reform Party (Renew Europe), previously said: “Everyone should have the right to marry the person they love and want to commit to. With this decision we are finally stepping among other Nordic countries as well as all the rest of the democratic countries in the world where marriage equality has been granted. This is a decision that does not take anything away from anyone but gives something important to many. It also shows that our society is caring and respectful towards each other. I am proud of Estonia.”

The proposal was adopted by 55 votes in favor to 34 against; the reform will go into effect starting January 1, 2024.

Laws in Oriental Europe often legally discriminate against LGBTQ people; the Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, and Montenegro have instituted a special/discriminatory legal framework to recognize same-sex relationships, the so-called ‘Civil Union.’ (Likewise, Italy, Greece, and Cyprus utilize similar laws.) In the other countries of Oriental Europe, there aren’t instruments to recognize same-sex marriages, not even discriminatory ones. 

Slovenia and Estonia are the only two European countries that came out of communist oppression that ‘now’ recognize marriage regardless of gender. The two are the freest democracies in Oriental Europe, with a score of 95/100 for Slovenia, and 94/100 for Estonia, according to Freedom House.