Monaco

Monaco inherited French decriminalization in 1793 and keeps the age of consent equal at 15 for all orientations. The principality unanimously approved in December 2019 the cohabitation contract ("contrat de vie commune"), in force since June 2020, which offers a narrow rights package over plain cohabitation but falls well short of a marriage or full civil union. No marriage equality exists, nor joint or stepchild adoption, nor legal gender change recognition. Law 1.299 (2005) sanctions hate speech and Law 1.478 (2019) amended the penal code to include sexual orientation in assault and violence articles; Civil Code Article 234-2 punishes threats based on sexual orientation with 2 to 5 years in prison. No explicit protections in employment or services. Catholic, conservative constitutional-monarchy society · described as tolerant in practice yet lagging the rest of Western Europe on rights legislation.