Poland’s parliament has passed a law introducing registered domestic partnerships. 230 MPs voted in favor, 198 against, with one abstention. Whether the reform will actually become law remains uncertain: the right-wing populist president Karol Nawrocki said he would not sign the bill.
The “Ustawa o związkach partnerskich” (Law on Partnerships) is part of the reforms promised by the center-left coalition led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk when it took office. It provides that two adults can sign a contract before a notary. After registration at the civil registry, both partners can choose the property regime and determine maintenance obligations. They also gain the right to shared occupancy of a home, may access each other’s medical information, and can act as each other’s proxy. However, the law grants fewer rights than marriage, as joint adoptions are not provided. Prime Minister Tusk described the law as “not radical, but it will make life easier for many people.”
Polish law still defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman, a principle codified in the constitution since 1997. However, recently the interior minister, following a ruling by the European Court of Justice, instructed civil registries to recognize same-sex marriages performed abroad (TheColu.mn reported).
Poland’s conservatives mount a fierce opposition to same-sex marriage
Since the registered partnership would also apply to same-sex couples, Poland’s right-wing populist opposition party PiS is up in arms. The head of state Nawrocki also hails from that camp. He said after the parliamentary vote that he would not sign a law that provides an alternative to marriage. “I am the guardian of the constitution. The constitution states explicitly that marriage is a union between a man and a woman,” Nawrocki said.
While the Polish parliament could override the president’s veto with a three-fifths majority, the governing coalition holds only about 54 percent of the seats in the Sejm.
Poland remains one of the last EU states, along with Bulgaria, Romania, and Slovakia, that have not legalized either same-sex marriages or registered partnerships. According to an Ipsos poll conducted this year, 62 percent of the population supports legal recognition of same-sex partnerships. By contrast, only 31 percent support extending marriage to gays and lesbians.
