Navrotsky blocked bills on the rights of same-sex couples
Polish President Karol Nawrocki vetoed two bills that would have introduced civil partnership agreements for cohabiting couples, including same-sex couples.
The bills were intended to expand legal protections for such couples, but following the president’s decision, they will not take effect.
On Friday, Nawrocki vetoed the government’s bill on the status of the closest partner in a relationship and cohabitation agreements, as well as the bill on its implementation.
In a video posted on X, Nawrocki emphasized that, as the guardian of the Constitution, he cannot make a decision that would lead to the loss of the special status of marriage specified in Article 18 of the Constitution, which defines marriage as a union between a woman and a man.
“I do not agree to the backdoor introduction of civil partnerships intended to replace or supplant the institution of marriage,” said Polish President Karol Nawrocki. pic.twitter.com/H3e8VGCZI2
— Office of the President of Poland (@prezydentpl) July 17, 2026
The vetoed bill would have allowed two adults, regardless of gender, to enter into an agreement before a notary public, which would then be registered with the civil registry authorities, according to RMF 24.
This document was intended to regulate issues of joint property, alimony obligations, housing rights, access to medical information, and matters related to burial. In addition, the wills of both parties could be attached to the agreement.
This is the first proposal in Polish history to formalize domestic partnerships that has passed both chambers of parliament. The president’s veto means the law will not take effect.
"Every citizen deserves respect, security, and the ability to resolve practical life issues. However, the dispute concerns the fundamental structure of the law… I do not agree to the ‘backdoor’ introduction of civil partnerships intended to replace or supplant the institution of marriage,” stated the President of Poland.
In the president’s view, the government’s proposal is not merely a set of technical regulations designed to make everyday life easier; its essence lay in the creation of a new, formalized institution of family law, endowed with a broad range of powers similar to those of a marriage.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk responded by saying he was furious.
“This was the bare minimum—the absolute minimum—that we had all been working toward. If President Navrotsky considers this unacceptable for some reason, it is hard to imagine that any version of this would find approval from the right-wing parties and President Navrotsky,” Tusk told reporters in the Sejm.
Navrotsky called for a ban on the red-and-black flag in Poland.
Przemysław Charniek, the Law and Justice (PiS) party’s candidate for prime minister of Poland (PiS), Przemysław Czarnek, stated that his party will submit a draft resolution to the Sejm calling for Poland not to support Ukraine’s further progress toward European Union membership until historical disputes surrounding the Volhynia tragedy are resolved.
As a reminder, the U.S. will provide Poland with a $2 billion loan to purchase weapons: F-35 fighter jets, Patriot air defense missile systems, and Abrams tanks.
Earlier, Poland signed an agreement with the U.S. for the delivery of 96 AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters, along with a logistics and training package, for a total cost of $10 billion.
