Polish President Vetoes Bills Expanding Rights for Same-Sex and Unmarried Couples

WARSAW: Polish President Karol Nawrocki has vetoed two bills that would have introduced “cohabitation contracts” for unmarried couples, including same-sex partners, dealing a significant setback to the country’s efforts to expand legal recognition for non-marital relationships.

The proposed legislation, backed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s coalition government, sought to grant couples living together a range of legal rights, including provisions relating to jointly owned property, access to medical information, and arrangements concerning funeral decisions. The measures stopped short of recognizing same-sex marriage or civil unions but were viewed as an important step toward improving legal protections for unmarried couples.

In announcing his decision, Nawrocki argued that the bills conflicted with Poland’s constitutional definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The president, who is supported by the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, said the legislation risked undermining constitutional protections for traditional marriage.

Prime Minister Tusk criticized the veto, describing it as a denial of basic rights for millions of people in informal relationships. Equality Minister Katarzyna Kotula also expressed disappointment, saying the decision left many couples without legal safeguards in everyday matters such as inheritance, healthcare and property issues.

Political observers say it is unlikely that parliament will secure the majority needed to override the presidential veto, meaning the proposed reforms are expected to remain blocked. Poland remains one of the few European Union member states that does not legally recognize same-sex marriages or civil partnerships.

LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations condemned the decision, arguing that it demonstrates continued resistance to extending even limited legal protections to same-sex couples and other unmarried partners, despite growing public debate over relationship rights in Poland.