Poland’s slow progress on partner rights contrasts with progressive European nations offering various legal recognitions for same-sex couples.
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Two years after a change in government in Poland, the promised introduction of registered partnerships is stalled by a government bill that does not grant the same rights as a partnership. This blockage involves both the opposition president and the Civic Coalition’s Polish People’s Party. The proposed “closest person” status, which replaced “registered partnership,” requires notarization instead of civil registry registration and excludes child adoption. This compromise project offers rights such as medical information access, inheritance without gift tax, housing use, administrative power of attorney, shared property, and joint accounting, though PiS still views it as too close to marriage.
In the EU, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria do not recognize registered partnerships. The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled against Romania and Bulgaria regarding same-sex couples; Romania claims its society is unprepared for such rulings. The ECtHR has also ruled three times concerning Poland on this matter. A key development for non-heteronormative families in Poland was a ruling by the European Court of Justice (CJEU) last November, which found that Polish authorities violated EU law by refusing to transcribe marriages performed in Berlin.
Slovakia lacks rights for same-sex couples, with legislative attempts failing even after high-profile incidents involving LGBT+ individuals, and constitutional amendments prioritizing national values over international law. Latvia and Lithuania recently joined countries explicitly discriminating against same-sex unions.
In contrast, Austria grants same-sex couples the exact same rights as opposite-sex couples, allowing them to choose between marriage or partnership since 2010/2019, and permitting adoption since 2016. In France, same-sex partnerships have existed since 1999, with same-sex marriages and adoption available since 2013.
The Czech Republic equalized the rights of registered partners with marriage through a civil code amendment in 2024, allowing shared surnames and property, though joint adoption remains unavailable. Croatia’s 2014 partnership law grants most spousal rights except for joint adoption, but same-sex couples can be foster parents under similar rules to others.
