BUCHAREST, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Romanian society is not ready to uphold the rights of same-sex couples in line with a European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling, leftist Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said late on Thursday. The ECHR ruled in May Romania had failed to enforce the rights of same-sex couples by refusing to recognise their relationships, in a ruling which could eventually force policymakers to expand protections for the LGBT community. Asked whether Romania will enforce the ruling, Ciolacu told radio station Europa FM that "the Romanian society is not ready for a decision at the moment. Socially conservative Romania decriminalised homosexuality in 2001, decades later than other parts of the European Union, but still bars marriage and civil partnerships for same-sex couples. A referendum to change Romania's constitution to prevent same-sex couples from securing the right to marry failed to draw enough voters in 2018.

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Persons: Marcel Ciolacu, Ciolacu, Luiza Ilie, Lincoln Organizations: of Human Rights, European Union, Thomson Locations: BUCHAREST, Romania, Romanian