KDH Welcomes Polish Court's Ruling on Same-sex Marriages

Bratislava, 28 July (TASR) - Opposition's Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) welcomes a ruling by Poland's Constitutional Court rejecting the recognition of foreign same-sex marriages, the party's press department told TASR on Tuesday. "The Polish ruling clearly states that it is unacceptable for lower-ranking legal norms or foreign documents to alter the constitutional definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman," KDH stated. According to the party, constitutional protection of marriage as the unique union of a man and a woman serves as the strongest and most reliable safeguard. It said this protects Slovakia's legal order against attempts to circumvent domestic legislation "through the back door" via foreign civil registries and European case law. "The Polish decision sends a clear signal to the whole of Europe that state sovereignty in family law is not merely an empty phrase but a genuine constitutional guarantee. The Slovak Constitution clearly defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. This must be respected by the European Union and its institutions," said KDH vice-chair Viliam Karas. KDH argued that any attempts to introduce the automatic recognition of foreign same-sex unions in Slovakia would face the same constitutional limits as in Poland. The party plans to continue defending constitutional principles, sovereignty in cultural and ethical matters, and traditional family values. On Tuesday, Poland's Constitutional Court ruled that a regulation issued by the Minister of Digital Affairs on templates for registering marriages concluded abroad is unconstitutional in the section concerning the registration of same-sex couples. The court said that under Polish law, only foreign marriages that comply with the constitutional definition of marriage may be entered into the civil registry. "Since the Polish legal system does not recognise marriages between two men or two women, it is impermissible to register a same-sex marriage concluded abroad as a marriage under Polish law," the tribunal said. mf