Warsaw, Poland. President Karol Nawrocki vetoed two bills that would have introduced cohabitation contracts for unmarried couples, including same-sex couples, limiting reforms sought by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government.
Proposed agreements
The bills on the status of the closest person in a relationship and cohabitation agreements would have allowed two adults to regulate matters including joint property rights, access to medical information and burial arrangements.
The proposals had support across the governing coalition, including from the conservative PSL party, which had previously opposed proposals it said could undermine marriage.
President’s objections
Nawrocki, an ally of the nationalist opposition Law and Justice party, said the bills created a formalised family-law institution with a broad range of rights similar to marriage.
“As the guardian of the Constitution, I cannot accept a solution that would lead to the loss of the special status of marriage,” he said in a recorded statement, referring to Article 18 of the Constitution, which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
Political obstacles
Tusk took office in 2023 promising reforms on abortion and LGBT rights, but divisions within his pro-European coalition and Nawrocki’s veto powers have complicated those efforts.
Overriding the veto would require a three-fifths majority in parliament, with at least half of lawmakers participating. With nationalist opposition parties against the bills, such a majority is considered practically impossible.
Government response
Katarzyna Kotula, the government official responsible for equality issues, said Nawrocki had “turned his back on two million people living today in informal relationships”.
Poland recognises same-sex marriages registered abroad following a ruling by the European Union’s top court. Kotula said she would focus on ensuring such couples can access all available benefits.