April 20, 2006

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many adults in Spain believe their current administration was right in granting legal recognition to homosexual partnerships, according to a poll by Instituto Opina released by Cadena Ser. 61 per cent of respondents agree with the government's decision to legalize same-sex marriage.

(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many adults in Spain believe their current administration was right in granting legal recognition to homosexual partnerships, according to a poll by Instituto Opina released by Cadena Ser. 61 per cent of respondents agree with the government's decision to legalize same-sex marriage.

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was sworn in as president of the government in April 2004, following a victory for the Socialist Worker's Party (PSOE) in the legislative ballot. The conservative Popular Party (PP) had administered the government under José María Aznar since 1996.

In April 2005, the PSOE-dominated Congress of Deputies approved a bill that would allow gay and lesbian couples to marry, divorce and adopt children. In June, the bill became law after a 187-147 vote. Spain became the third country in Europe—after Belgium and the Netherlands—to permit same-sex marriage.

In the first six months since the same-sex marriage law was sanctioned in Spain, 425 homosexual couples from all over the country were married.

Polling Data

Do you agree or disagree with the government's decision to legalize same-sex marriage?

Agree	61.0%
Disagree	32.3%
Not sure	4.7%
No reply	2.0%

Source: Instituto Opina / Cadena Ser
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 Spanish adults, conducted on Mar. 30, 2006. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.