Hundreds protested in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in Warsaw on Saturday, urging the Polish government to recognize same-sex marriages registered in other EU countries.
LGBT Activists Protest Government Inaction
LGBT organizations protested outside the Chancellery of the Prime Minister on Saturday, demanding the government implement rulings from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and the Supreme Administrative Court regarding same-sex marriage recognition.
Approximately several hundred people participated in the demonstration.
Call for Equal Marriage Recognition
The protest was led by LGBT activist Bart Staszewski, framed as a response to the government’s perceived reluctance to systematically implement the court rulings, instead considering limiting their effects to a single couple. Protestors emphasized that equality and the rule of law are not merely slogans.
Protestors’ Slogans and Demands
Demonstrators carried signs with slogans including “TSK LIES,” “Equal Marriage,” “Together We Won’t Give Up on Equality,” “Enough Segregation of Marriages,” and “Implement Tusks’ Rulings.” One sign read, “Heteromarrriage with Privileges.”
Staszewski’s Appeal to the Prime Minister
Staszewski questioned why the government had taken no action in six months to implement the CJEU ruling on marriage transcription, asking why marriages legally concluded in EU countries like Germany, Denmark, France, and Spain should be unrecognized in Poland. He urged the government to dismantle the barrier separating Poland from democratic Europe.
Multiple Court Rulings Support Recognition
Staszewski highlighted the existence of rulings from the CJEU, the Supreme Administrative Court, and several regional administrative courts in cities like Olsztyn and Gorzów, with further rulings expected from Lublin and other cities.
System Readiness vs. Political Obstacles
Civil registry offices are prepared to implement the rulings, requiring only changes to the computer system and the regulations governing civil status act templates. The Ministry of Digital Affairs has reportedly prepared the necessary changes.
Accusations of Sabotage and Capitulation
Staszewski criticized the need for both the Minister of Digital Affairs, Krzysztof Gawkowski, and the Minister of Interior and Administration, Marcin Kierwiński, to sign off on the changes, accusing Kierwiński of using the need for legislative changes as a pretext. He labeled this a “sabotage and capitulation,” arguing the government is ignoring Polish and European courts and undermining the rule of law.
Government Position and Planned Document Changes
The Ministry of Interior and Administration maintains that full implementation of the CJEU guidelines and the introduction of a transcription procedure require legislative changes. Representatives from the Ministry of Digital Affairs and the Ministry of Interior and Administration stated in early April that they are working on amending the regulations concerning document templates.
The proposed changes involve replacing the terms “woman” and “man” on marriage certificates with “first spouse” and “second spouse,” thereby enabling the transcription of same-sex marriages.
Legal Background: November 2025 Ruling
The March ruling concerned the marriage of two Polish citizens legally contracted in Berlin in 2018. In 2023, the Supreme Administrative Court referred a preliminary question to the CJEU. Two years later, in November 2025, the CJEU ruled that member states are obligated to recognize same-sex marriages legally concluded in another EU country, even if their own laws do not recognize such unions. The case then returned to the Supreme Administrative Court.
The Saturday event proceeded without incident.
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