“Changes to civil status records introduced by way of a regulation are an attempt to bypass the president and parliament,” said Law and Justice (PiS) MP Jan Kanthak, commenting on the government’s recent actions concerning the recognition in Poland of same-sex “marriages” following a ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). According to Zbigniew Bogucki, Head of the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland, the situation shows that those in power may in the future attempt, by the same means, to introduce the adoption of children by same-sex couples in Poland.
At the end of November last year, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that EU member states are obliged to recognize marriages between persons of the same sex concluded in other countries of the Community, even if domestic law, as in the case of Poland, defines marriage exclusively as a union between a woman and a man.
The case originated with two men who were married in Berlin and demanded the transcription of their marriage certificate in a Polish registry office.
The Polish government has already begun actions to implement the CJEU ruling. The Minister of Digital Affairs, Krzysztof Gawkowski, ordered the creation of new civil status records. The politician wants to replace the terms “woman” and “man” with the designations “first spouse” and “second spouse.” The changes are to be introduced by way of a regulation.
An Attempt to Bypass the President
“This is being done on the side, in order to bypass the president, to bypass the Polish parliament, through a regulation, and the question then is why maintain members of parliament at all, why maintain the office of the president or the prime minister?”
PiS MP Jan Kanthak said on Sunday on Polsat News.
He continued: “Why do we pay Gawkowski a salary if the CJEU and the European Union can impose on us things that are directly inconsistent with our constitution?”
In his view, Karol Nawrocki’s victory in the presidential election halted an “ideological revolution.” He emphasized that the actions of the CJEU are intended to lead to the legalization of same-sex marriage in Poland.
Adoption of Children Next?
The issue was also addressed by Zbigniew Bogucki, Head of the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland, who was present in the studio. He assessed the changes to civil status records as an “aberration” and an example of a “radically left-wing agenda.”
“In a moment, you will say that there will be such a ruling of the court, that since this is a marriage, then a marriage can adopt children. That is what you are striving for. There is no consent to this from either the President of the Republic or the overwhelming majority of sensible, normally thinking Poles,”
he declared.