The Europeans | European news, politics and culture

Can the EU make Poland recognise gay marriage?

Dec 4, 2025
Guest
Angéla Kóczé
Angéla Kóczé, Chair of the Romani Studies programme at Central European University, dives into the complexities of anti-Roma discrimination across Europe. She highlights the troubling Hungarian law that marginalizes Roma under the guise of protecting local identity and discusses troubling historical practices like the forcible sterilization of Roma women. Angéla advocates for EU interventions to ensure Roma rights and social inclusion, while also reflecting on the implications of recent LGBTQ+ marriage rulings for Poland. Their conversation is both enlightening and urgent.
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ADVICE

Turn Recognition Into Tangible Rights

  • Governments should implement the EU ruling promptly to translate recognition into real rights like inheritance, taxation and hospital visitation.
  • Expect political pushback and prepare legal routes or EU enforcement if national authorities delay or resist.
INSIGHT

Marriage Tourism Not Automatically Covered

  • The ruling may be limited to couples who resided in the country where they married, not short-term 'marriage tourism' visitors.
  • Further cases could extend the precedent if courts rule for couples who married abroad without residency.
ANECDOTE

Young Polish LGBTQ+ Voice Skeptical

  • Agata, a 24‑year‑old in Poland, said she welcomed EU decisions but doubted Polish compliance due to Euroscepticism.
  • She described the ruling as an opening but had low hopes for immediate local change.
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