“If you had wanted to limit yourselves solely to technical provisions in several laws, there probably would not have been a veto,” presidential adviser Błażej Poboży said, commenting on President Karol Nawrocki’s decision to veto the bill on the legal status of a closest person. According to the adviser, the head of state opposed provisions that – in his view – would have effectively placed civil partnerships on an equal footing with marriage.
Karol Nawrocki vetoed the government’s bill on the legal status of a closest person in a relationship and a cohabitation agreement, along with the accompanying implementing legislation. “I cannot accept a solution that would lead to the loss of the special status of marriage,” the president said.
During the election campaign, the president repeatedly declared that he was open to discussing legislation regulating the status of a closest person. However, he consistently emphasized that he would not support any arrangement resembling marriage.
“I have always stressed that nothing resembling a quasi-marriage can count on my support. The same applies to the adoption of children by same-sex couples. I have repeatedly stated that if the proposed solutions genuinely helped people by improving their formal and administrative functioning – such as access to medical information, representing a loved one, or handling official matters – without imposing ideological pressure or undermining the unique status of marriage, I would sign such legislation. Unfortunately, the bill submitted to me goes far beyond technical issues. It effectively creates a new, formal institution of family law with a broad catalogue of rights similar to those enjoyed by married couples,” the president explained.
The vetoed legislation was the first bill in the history of the Polish parliament to provide a legal framework for civil partnerships, including same-sex couples. It was passed by both chambers of parliament under the ruling December 13 coalition.
Since then, politicians from the governing camp and pro-government media have continued to fuel the debate. Katarzyna Kotula, the government’s plenipotentiary for tolerance, wrote on X:
“There will be no return to discussions on the civil partnerships bill or the bill on the status of a closest person. We are now pursuing marriage equality. First, we will fight for joint tax filing in transcription cases and hold talks with the finance minister.”
“The President Has a Clearly Defined Position”
The issue was discussed during Sunday’s edition of “Miłosz Kłeczek High Voltage” on TV Republika. Responding to accusations from politicians of the ruling coalition that the president should propose legal solutions for people in informal relationships, including same-sex couples, presidential adviser Błażej Poboży said:
“The president has a clearly defined policy agenda. I encourage everyone to read the ’21 Points’ programme with which President Karol Nawrocki campaigned and which he is consistently trying to implement.”
He added that “unfortunately, most of the president’s legislative proposals end up frozen by Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty, and valuable initiatives – including those aimed at reducing energy prices in Poland – have been blocked.”
Poboży also rejected suggestions that the president should introduce his own legislative proposal on the matter.
“Therefore, please do not even try to suggest that the president should be submitting such bills. The president has a clearly defined programme and a clearly defined set of values. Those values include protecting the institution of marriage and the family, which form the foundation of Polish society. If you – and I mean the Polish People’s Party (PSL), Poland 2050, Centre for Poland, The Left, and the Civic Coalition – had limited yourselves to technical amendments in several laws, as you originally promised, there probably would not have been a veto.”
He continued:
“But what did you do? You tried to introduce, through the back door, a new institution of family law that would serve as a substitute for marriage, taking over its benefits without the responsibilities and consequences that marriage entails.”
Poboży also questioned the bill’s tax-related provisions.
“And when you examine it more closely – as many people on the internet are already doing – it appears that this may have been primarily about tax issues. The changes you wanted to introduce into the Tax Ordinance through this bill deserve thorough analysis. The president will not accept any attempt to equate civil partnerships with the institution of marriage. Marriage enjoys legal protection under the Constitution, and there will be no change in the president’s position on this matter,” the presidential adviser concluded.