In France, Civil Unions Gain Favor Over Marriage

[SecularMotion]

Source: NY Times

PARIS — Some are divorced and disenchanted with marriage; others are young couples ideologically opposed to marriage, but eager to lighten their tax burdens. Many are lovers not quite ready for old-fashioned matrimony.

Whatever their reasons, and they vary widely, French couples are increasingly shunning traditional marriages and opting instead for civil unions, to the point that there are now two civil unions for every three marriages.

When France created its system of civil unions in 1999, it was heralded as a revolution in gay rights, a relationship almost like marriage, but not quite. No one, though, anticipated how many couples would make use of the new law. Nor was it predicted that by 2009, the overwhelming majority of civil unions would be between straight couples.

It remains unclear whether the idea of a civil union, called a pacte civil de solidarité, or PACS, has responded to a shift in social attitudes or caused one. But it has proved remarkably well suited to France and its particularities about marriage, divorce, religion and taxes — and it can be dissolved with just a registered letter.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/16/world/europe/16france.html?hp

[Mass]

1. The decline of marriage in France has come long before the PACS.

To most couples, the PACS is just a way to get rights that were formally denied to unmarried couples, particularly in tax matters. The simplicity of the PACS is very attractive to people who previously did not want to get married, which in France is a lot of people.

[DonCoquixote]

2. I used to think

That this would be a solution to the gay marriage issue. Civil Unions would get religion out of marriage, of course, as we have seen, religion will not allow a thing like law to get in it's way, which is why we need full blown gay marriage.

[David__77]

3. Partnership should be easy to form, easy to dissolve.

And devoid of ideological content.

[unkachuck]

4. "...and it can be dissolved with just a registered letter."

....even I could afford that, I like it....

....I've always thought marriage should have to be renewed every 5 to 10 years or else it should expire like a Bush-Tax-Cut....well maybe not like a, Bush-Tax-Cut....

....knowing your marriage could easily be dissolved would make people work harder at marriage and maybe take it more seriously....I know I would....