Not a vote to spare
One hundred and one votes, not one more: how the Czech Republic became the first Eastern Bloc country to introduce partnerships for homosexuals.
On 15 March 2006, many in the Prague Chamber of Deputies held their breath. Up for a vote was a law that would for the first time allow same-sex couples to register their relationship. Both chambers of parliament had already passed it. But President Václav Klaus vetoed it. The state was interfering too much in people's private lives, he argued.
To override the veto, an absolute majority of one hundred and one of the two hundred deputies was needed. The situation was confused, because many voted according to conscience rather than party line. The Christian Democrats, who were part of the government, opposed the bill. Parts of the centre-right opposition accused Prime Minister Jiří Paroubek of turning it into a campaign issue shortly before the elections. Six earlier attempts had failed in previous years.
In the end, exactly one hundred and one deputies voted in favour. Not one vote more than necessary. Among the activists, who had heard very different numbers beforehand, cheers broke out.
The Czech Republic thus became the first country of the former Eastern Bloc to recognise same-sex partnerships in law. The law came into force on 1 July 2006. It covered, among other things, inheritance, access to information about a partner's health and the right not to have to testify against them. Adoption remained excluded, as did much that married couples take for granted.
The struggle continued. The partnership was later extended, but opening marriage found no majority in parliament. The evening in March 2006 nevertheless remains a turning point for all of Central Europe. Sometimes a single vote decides the future of many.