Tusk furious after president vetoes registered partnership bill

A legislative proposal in Poland aimed at establishing registered partnerships for cohabiting couples has been vetoed by President Karol Nawrocki, blocking its passage through the government's legislative process. The bill, intended to provide a legal framework for non-marital relationships, failed to advance from the Council of Ministers' Permanent Committee, largely due to a lack of consensus within the ruling coalition.

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The government's proposal is not merely a technical regulation. Its essence is the creation of a new, formalized family law institution, which has broad powers similar to marriage, but without the full range of obligations arising from marriage.

The proposed law would have allowed two adults to enter into a notarial agreement, registered with the civil registry office. This agreement would have enabled parties to choose property regimes, establish alimony obligations, secure rights to use a shared dwelling, and grant access to medical information and representation in daily affairs. The European Court of Human Rights has previously mandated Poland to recognize the rights of same-sex couples and allow them formal cohabitation, distinct from marriage.

President Nawrocki justified his veto by stating the government's proposal was more than a technical regulation. He argued it aimed to create a new, formalized family law institution with broad powers akin to marriage, but without the full spectrum of marital obligations. Despite the veto, Nawrocki indicated that the debate on the issue is not closed and that there is a need to regulate situations where individuals require assistance from a trusted person for health, organizational, administrative, and personal matters.

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The veto does not close the debate on the problems, and I see that situations must be regulated in which a person needs the help of a reliable person in health, organizational, administrative, and personal matters.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk reacted with strong disapproval, calling the blocked bill a "difficultly achieved compromise" designed to ease the lives of those in informal relationships. "I am very angry because this was the minimum, the absolute minimum, that we all worked for," Tusk told reporters. He expressed doubt that any variation of the proposal would find acceptance from the right-wing and President Nawrocki, given the president's decision.

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I am very angry because this was the minimum, the absolute minimum, that we all worked for. If President Nawrocki thinks that this is unacceptable for any reason, then it is difficult to imagine that any variation of it will find acceptance from the right-wing and President Nawrocki.