Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk has assured that Poland will begin recognising same-sex marriages performed in other European Union countries following major court rulings from both the Court of Justice of the European Union and Poland’s Supreme Administrative Court.
Speaking ahead of a cabinet meeting, Tusk apologised for what he described as the “years of rejection and humiliation” faced by same-sex couples in Poland. “[This is] a matter of human dignity: the right to happiness, the right to equal treatment by the state,” he said.
“I would like to apologise to all those who, for many, many years, felt rejected and humiliated. For many years, the state has failed the test.” Tusk added that his government would make compliance with the court rulings a priority, while stressing that any legal changes would be implemented within the framework of existing Polish law.
The rulings mark a historic shift for Poland, one of the few remaining EU countries that still does not legally recognise same-sex unions domestically. While the decisions do not force Poland to legalise same-sex marriage itself, they do require the country to recognise marriages legally performed elsewhere in the EU.
Meanwhile, Poland’s capital, Warsaw, registered its first same-sex marriage, implementing court rulings that require the country to recognize same-sex marriages registered abroad.
It's time Poland!!!
