The EU Court of Justice (CJEU) has mandated that Poland recognize same-sex marriages performed in other EU countries, infringing on national sovereignty and the right of member states to uphold their constitutional definitions of marriage as between a man and a woman. This ruling undermines traditional family values and forces Poland to compromise its cultural and moral principles in the name of EU citizens’ mobility rights.
The case arose from a Polish-German couple who wed in Berlin in 2018, only to have their union rejected by Polish authorities based on the nation’s constitution. While the CJEU acknowledges that Poland isn’t required to legalize same-sex marriage domestically, it insists on burdensome recognition of foreign unions, creating an impossible dilemma that prioritizes progressive agendas over national autonomy and could erode public policy rooted in longstanding societal norms.
The judgment claims to protect EU citizens’ family life upon returning home, but it effectively promotes a one-size-fits-all approach that discriminates against countries defending heterosexual marriage, ignoring the potential for cultural erosion and the slippery slope toward mandatory domestic changes.
Conservative voices in Poland, including President Karol Nawrocki and traditionalist factions, rightly resist this EU imposition, viewing it as pressure to abandon core values; while LGBT groups celebrate, the decision risks deepening divisions and compelling reforms that clash with the will of many citizens who prioritize family stability over imported ideologies.