The National Assembly of France is, for the first time, debating the issue of marriage equality. The Socialist Party has introduced a bill to change the marriage law to a contract "of two people of different sex or of the same sex". Unfortunately, the right (who are currently in charge of the French government) are firmly opposed, so the bill has no chance of passage. But, as the Socialist Party gears up for the 2012 presidential and legislative elections, it looks like this could become one of the issues they use to rally the public's support behind them, as polling shows a clear majority of the country supports marriage equality.
France already has a civil union-type legal contract called a PACS (pacte civil de solidarité, civil pact of solidarity), which offers many but not all of the same rights as marriage. While many in the right were initially opposed to the PACS, most have now come around to the idea, but as the general mood of the country has shifted in favor of gay rights, the left has begun to push for full marriage equality. Although this first legal step in the National Assembly is doomed for failure, it is the first glimmer of hope for legalizing same-sex marriage in France.
The Catholic Church is predictably opposed, but the Catholic Church is losing its sway over the opinions of the French populace. Only 54% of France self-identifies as Christian, and 31% as having no religion. Compare that to Spain next door, another traditionally Catholic nation where 76% are Christian and only 13% are non-religious, yet same-sex marriage was legalized there with support of two-thirds of the population.
Same-sex marriage is already legal in seven European countries: Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Portugal. If the 2012 elections go well for the left, France may very well be added to that list.