President Nawrocki Vetoes Civil Partnerships Bill, Blocking LGBT Rights Advance
Poland's President Karol Nawrocki vetoed two government bills on July 17 that would have created legal cohabitation contracts for unmarried couples, including same-sex partners. The move deals a setback to PM Tusk's LGBT reform agenda and leaves Poland among Europe's last countries without legal recognition for same-sex unions.
On July 17, 2026, President Karol Nawrocki announced his veto of two bills that would have introduced a new legal framework called the "status of the closest person in a relationship and cohabitation agreement." The measures, which passed both houses of parliament with support from Prime Minister Donald Tusk's centre-left coalition, would have allowed unmarried couples—both opposite-sex and same-sex—to sign an agreement before a notary granting them certain protections currently reserved for married couples.
What the Law Would Have Done
The legislation would have granted joint property rights, access to partner medical information, inheritance rights, and burial authority. It represented the first domestic legal recognition of same-sex relationships in Polish law.
The Pushback
Nawrocki, aligned with the right-wing opposition Law and Justice party, argued the bills violated the Constitution. "These proposals create a new, formalised institution of family law, equipped with a broad catalogue of rights similar to those of marriage," he said. "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."
Prime Minister Tusk responded angrily, calling the veto an "expression of contempt for people and their right to happiness and a normal life." Overriding the presidential veto would require a three-fifths majority in the lower house of parliament—an all-but-impossible threshold given opposition party support for Nawrocki's position.
Status for Foreigners
If you are an expat in a same-sex relationship or an unmarried foreign couple living in Poland, this veto means you have no domestic legal framework for joint property, inheritance, or medical decision-making rights. Poland does recognise foreign same-sex marriages following European Court of Justice rulings, but domestic couples remain without formal legal status. Foreign residents in long-term relationships should consult a Polish lawyer about alternative protections (wills, powers of attorney, cohabitation agreements registered privately).
Sources
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