ECJ rules in favour of same-sex couples
Same-sex marriages that are registered in one EU member state must be recognised in all other EU countries, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled on Tuesday in Luxembourg. What prompted the decision? A homosexual couple who married in 2018 in Germany tried to register their marriage in Poland after moving there, but their request was rejected by Poland's restrictive legislation.
Not the end of the West
The decision is both clear and cautious, comments Tagesschau.de:
“The ECJ underlines that the structuring of marital law is for member states to decide. So Poland can decide whether same-sex couples are allowed to marry or not - that is the cautious part. But if a same-sex couple gets married in another EU country, then the Polish authorities have to recognise the marriage. That is the clear part of the ruling. This could indeed open the way for queer couples from Poland to marry. In future they could get married in Germany, for example, and then enjoy the rights of a married couple in Poland. ... Same sex marriage is not the end of the West. It does not disturb social peace; it creates it.”
No one will be deprived of anything
Polityka is content:
“The ECJ rulings take precedence over national law. In the event of violations of these rulings, the Court will impose penalties on the member states. ... Of course, the far right can always resort to getting Poland to leave the EU. But that will take time. Not months but years. And in the meantime, the ruling can be implemented as early as today - and nothing will happen, the world will not end and no one will be deprived of anything through the good fortune of others. One of the most effective political tools used to mobilise voters who are obedient to the Church has been knocked for six.”
Core EU values reaffirmed
El País praises the ruling:
“The law works slower than society but the significance of this ruling also lies in the fact that it reaffirms the Union's core values at a time when within the Union, as well as elsewhere in the world, a reactionary agenda against LGBTQIA+ rights is being pursued. Viktor Orbán's Hungary or Robert Fico's Slovakia are prominent examples for this homophobic populism. Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation flies in the face of the fundamental principles of any democracy, including those of the EU.”