Polish president vetoes civil unions bill

Polish President Karol Nawrocki has vetoed a government-backed bill that sought to legalize civil unions, a move that would have extended legal protections to unmarried couples, including same-sex partnerships. The decision was announced Friday by the conservative and nationalist president.

Nawrocki stated in a message on X that as the "guardian of the Constitution," he could not approve a measure that would diminish the "particular status of marriage" as a union exclusively between a woman and a man. The bill, introduced by Prime Minister Donald Tusk's centrist government in December, proposed establishing a "close person status" to grant rights typically reserved for married couples.

These rights included joint property ownership, access to medical information, and burial rights. The ruling coalition had attempted to broaden support by suggesting the status could apply to neighbors or family members, not just romantic partners. However, the core aim was to provide legal recognition for same-sex couples, who, along with unmarried heterosexual couples, face significant legal disadvantages in Poland.

Poland remains one of the few EU states without legal recognition for same-sex unions, consistently ranking low on LGBTIQA+ rights. Tusk's pro-European Civic Coalition had promised to introduce civil union legislation within the first 100 days of taking office. However, coalition agreements with more conservative partners and the president's stance have complicated the fulfillment of social promises.

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As the guardian of the Constitution, I cannot accept a solution that would lead to the loss of the particular status of marriage, defined (...) as the union of a woman and a man.