Euro Court Tells Poland to Recognize Same-Sex Marriages Registered in Other EU Countries

The Court of Justice of the European Union emphasized that the ruling does not mean that Poland must now introduce same-sex marriage under domestic law.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk makes a joint statement to reporters with French President Emmanuel Macron (not pictured) as part of their meeting at the Élysée Palace in Paris on Feb. 12, 2024. Christophe Petit Tesson/Pool via Reuters

The European Union’s top court on Nov. 25 ordered Poland to recognize same-sex marriages registered in other EU countries, even though Polish law does not allow marriage between two people of the same sex.

The Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) said in a statement accompanying the ruling that refusing to recognize a same-sex marriage conducted in another member state “is contrary to EU law because it infringes that freedom and the right to respect for private and family life.”