President Karol Nawrocki rejected legislation creating formal cohabitation contracts, saying the proposals would weaken marriage’s special status as a union between a man and a woman under Poland’s Constitution.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Polish President Karol Nawrocki vetoed two bills Friday that would have expanded legal rights for unmarried couples, including same-sex partners, reaffirming his commitment to protecting marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
The legislation would have established formal “cohabitation contracts” for couples living together and granted them a range of rights similar to those available through marriage.
Nawrocki said in a recorded statement that the proposals would create a new institution within family law whose legal protections closely resembled those of marriage.
“These proposals create a new, formalized institution of family law, equipped with a broad catalogue of rights similar to those of marriage,” Nawrocki said.
He argued that approving the bills would undermine the constitutional status of marriage and conflict with his duty to uphold Poland’s founding legal document.
“As the guardian of the Constitution, I cannot accept a solution that would lead to the loss of the special status of marriage, defined in Article 18 of the Constitution as a union of a man and a woman under the protection and care of the Republic of Poland,” Nawrocki said.
The veto represents another setback for Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s efforts to enact changes involving abortion and LGBT rights after taking office in 2023.
Tusk campaigned on promises to advance those reforms, but disagreements within his broad pro-European governing coalition and Nawrocki’s presidential veto authority have complicated their passage.
Poland remains one of the few European Union countries that provides limited legal recognition and protections for same-sex couples, Reuters reported.
The two rejected bills sought to provide a legal framework for couples who live together without marrying. Supporters said the contracts would allow same-sex and unmarried heterosexual couples to secure practical protections that are otherwise difficult or unavailable under existing law.
Nawrocki concluded that the proposed arrangement went beyond addressing isolated legal concerns and instead created an alternative institution that could diminish marriage’s constitutionally protected position.
Article 18 of the Polish Constitution identifies marriage as a union between a woman and a man and places marriage, the family, motherhood and parenthood under the protection and care of the state.
The president’s decision preserves the existing legal framework and prevents the proposed cohabitation contracts from taking effect.
The veto also underscores the continuing political divide between Nawrocki and Tusk’s government over social policy.
While Tusk’s coalition has sought to expand legal recognition for same-sex couples, Nawrocki has positioned himself as a defender of Poland’s traditional definition of marriage and the constitutional order surrounding family law.
Overriding the president’s decision would require sufficient support in parliament, where divisions within the governing coalition have already hindered efforts to enact broader changes involving marriage, abortion and LGBT policy.
Original article
Comments