Story perspectives

Warsaw Registers Same-Sex Marriage, Citing EU Court Ruling

5/16/2026

Summary

Trzaskowski Transcribes Same-Sex Marriage

Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski announced that the city’s Civil Registry Office transcribed a same-sex marriage performed abroad.
The transcription follows a March ruling by Poland’s Supreme Administrative Court and a November 2025 EU Court decision requiring EU states to recognize such marriages.
Trzaskowski said future applications will be processed quickly.
The editorial board warned that the decision could establish a legal precedent.

Summary

Coalition Compromises

The coalition introduced a compromise bill letting unmarried partners, including same-sex couples, sign agreements granting legal rights.
A 2025 Ipsos+ poll found 67% of Poles support same-sex marriage or recognition for LGBTQ+ couples.
Over 100 NGOs, including Amnesty International, condemned the government for not fully applying European Union (EU) and Polish court rulings.
Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski signed a regulation revising certificates to label them ‘woman-man’, ‘woman-woman’ or ‘man-man’.

History

Historical Context

In June 2018 the European Court of Justice ruled in *Coman* that EU states must recognise same-sex marriages performed elsewhere for freedom-of-movement purposes. The decision was expanded by the 2025 *Cupriak-Trojan* judgment, obliging all members, including Poland, to transcribe foreign unions. Following the Polish Supreme Administrative Court’s March 20 2026 order, Warsaw’s mayoral office began registering such marriages, exemplifying the EU-wide shift.

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Trzaskowski Transcribes Same-Sex Marriage

Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski announced that the city’s Civil Registry Office transcribed a same-sex marriage performed abroad.
The transcription follows a March ruling by Poland’s Supreme Administrative Court and a November 2025 EU Court decision requiring EU states to recognize such marriages.
Trzaskowski said future applications will be processed quickly.
The editorial board warned that the decision could establish a legal precedent.

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