Poland's President Karol Nawrocki has vetoed two legislative proposals that aimed to establish "cohabitation contracts" for couples, a move that significantly impacts the rights of same-sex couples in the country. The legislation, proposed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk's centrist government, sought to create a "status of the closest person" for unmarried partners, including same-sex couples, granting them some rights currently reserved for married couples, such as joint property rights, access to each other's medical information, and burial rights.
Nawrocki, an ally of the nationalist opposition, stated in a message on X that "nothing that is a quasi-marriage can count on my support." He added, "As the guardian of the Constitution, I cannot accept a solution that would lead to the loss of the special status of marriage defined... as a union of a woman and a man." The veto can be overridden by a three-fifths majority vote in the lower house of parliament, a threshold considered difficult to achieve.
Prime Minister Tusk criticized the veto on X, calling it "an expression of contempt toward people and their right to happiness and a normal life." Tusk's pro-European Civic Coalition had pledged to introduce legislation to legalize civil partnerships within its first 100 days in office, but governing with more conservative coalition partners and sharing power with President Nawrocki has slowed progress on social issues. A 2025 state research agency poll indicated that 62% of Poles supported legalizing same-sex partnerships.
