Lawmakers in Kosovo overwhelmingly voted against legislation that would have seen same-sex civil partnerships formally recognised in the country.
After a parliamentary debate on 16 March, a vote of 120 opposed to just 28 in favour saw the law fall short, Euractiv reported.
The attempt to bring the country closer to marriage equality was set in motion by the government of Prime Minister Albin Kurti.
Its success would have seen Kosovo become the first Muslim-majority country to introduce this type of law.
With its leaders wanting Kosovo to join the European Union (EU), the legislation was part of a wider range of proposed civil reforms backed by the body.
“Rights belong to us,” Kurti stated during the debate. “They belong to everyone.”
His government has suggested that “registered civil unions between people of the same sex be allowed”.
However, opponents of the bill disagreed.
Labinote Demi-Murtezi, a ruling party representative, stated that marriage is only “acceptable” when it involves “persons of opposite sex”.
Earlier this month, the EU’s office in Pristina (Kosovo’s capital city) encouraged the country’s parliament to pass the law, as well as other reforms that would see more rights for minority groups and changes to business.
“Failure to adopt the civil code will have serious negative repercussions on many aspects of the life of Kosovo citizens and businesses, as well as on the overall economic development of Kosovo,” it said at the time.
Activists protested the news on 17 March and reportedly took to the streets of Pristina to demonstrate against it.
“Homophobes, you have no place in parliament” and “Love is resistance; we also are part of the family” were among the slogans chanted by those in attendance, according to BalkanInsight.
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