The EU court just told Poland they have to recognize gay marriages from other member countries, even though Polish law does not allow same sex unions. The ruling came after two Polish dudes got married in Germany and tried getting their marriage registered back home but got shut down because Poland's constitution defines marriage as one man and one woman.
The judges said blocking recognition messes with EU citizens' freedom to move around and live wherever they want in the union. Poland does not need to change its own marriage laws but has to acknowledge these marriages through whatever administrative process it normally uses. The court pointed out that refusing creates massive problems for couples trying to regulate their family situations and cited anti-discrimination protections.
This builds on an earlier Romania case but goes further by covering situations where both spouses are EU citizens instead of one being from outside the bloc. The decision matters for LGBT rights across Europe since it forces conservative countries to deal with marriages performed elsewhere.
The judges said blocking recognition messes with EU citizens' freedom to move around and live wherever they want in the union. Poland does not need to change its own marriage laws but has to acknowledge these marriages through whatever administrative process it normally uses. The court pointed out that refusing creates massive problems for couples trying to regulate their family situations and cited anti-discrimination protections.
This builds on an earlier Romania case but goes further by covering situations where both spouses are EU citizens instead of one being from outside the bloc. The decision matters for LGBT rights across Europe since it forces conservative countries to deal with marriages performed elsewhere.
