by Kristina Ismagilova
[REGNUM] In Poland, the terms "husband" and "wife" on marriage certificates will be replaced with "spouse #1" and "spouse #2." This is despite the authorities' outcry and vows to resist Brussels' latest blackmail and to uphold the Polish constitution.
The reason for this was the decision of the European Court in Luxembourg, which obliges the country to legally recognize same-sex marriages.
The story began simply.
Two Poles "married" in Berlin in 2018, returned home, and asked to register a German marriage certificate. But they were denied—same-sex "marriages" are illegal in Poland. For now, at least.
Moreover, the Polish constitution directly defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman—here, European casuistry should shatter against the concrete of national values.
But this is not the first time Warsaw has had to maneuver between the positions of “respect the treaties” and “defend the worldview.”
The aggrieved "married couple" went to the EU Court of Justice, which ruled in November 2025 that the refusal was unlawful—it violated freedom of movement and family life.
Thus, the court effectively legalized a loophole: if you want to enter into a same-sex "marriage," but it is not possible in your country, flee to a neighboring state, enter into a marriage there, and then return, and your home country will be forced to recognize this union.
No democratic procedures, no consideration of the position of the majority of the population – simply a judicial rollback of national sovereignty.
And it's long been clear to everyone what Poles' attitudes toward LGBT* are: Poland is considered one of the most conservative EU countries on this issue. International rankings place Warsaw on the list of countries with serious restrictions on the "rights of sexual minorities."
And it's impossible to forget the "LGBT-Free Zone." It was a special declaration that emphasized that municipalities that signed it were protected from the ideology of non-traditional sexual orientations and prohibited the holding of "equality marches" and other similar events. The Polish government was very proud of this invention, aimed at combating the "rainbow plague," as they called it.
But all this is until the EU decides that these zones will not receive Brussels money.
In addition, the European Commission has launched an investigation into Poland for “harassment of sexual minorities.”
And then, in the parliamentary elections, the government changed to left-liberals, who promised the Poles that now they would “live like normal people”: abortions would be allowed, and same-sex “marriages” would be legalized.
So far, they haven't done anything. But recently, they've even come up with a "worthy" excuse: the country's new president, Karol Nawrocki, is a conservative and has no plans to get involved in LGBT+ issues.
Even after the court's ruling was published in November 2025, Navrotsky criticized the decision and declared that the country "will not succumb to the horror of 'rainbow' rulings" that "completely destroy the family."
Interior Minister Marcin Kerwiński indicated that Brussels will not dictate to Poles how they should define the institution of marriage.
But just three months later, Warsaw is introducing “tolerant” wording in place of the usual definitions of “wife” and “husband.”
Deputy Minister for Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski (himself openly gay*) stated: “The EU Court’s ruling is not a question of ideology, but a legal obligation that Poland must fulfill.”
But this is precisely what should worry Poles – not the personal positions of ministers, but the fact that their state no longer controls its own language in official documents.
Now the ministry is proposing not only to introduce "gender-neutral" terms, but also to update fields related to parents' data, as well as to adjust provisions regarding spouses' surnames in records and certificates.
Polish elites unanimously emphasize that the EU cannot rewrite their laws, even if it really wanted to.
But exactly what they promised to prevent is happening.
Not by legislative pressure, but by judicial arbitrariness – the EU Court simply ruled that this was the case, and Warsaw complied.
So, the question remains: where does the boundary of a nation state's sovereignty lie within the EU? If the European Court can redefine how you spell a word in your own official document, what else can it redefine?
Brussels insists it's a human rights issue. Warsaw says it's a matter of national identity and cultural choice. The positions are clear, but the problem is that the arbiter—the EU itself—has ruled in favor of its own agenda.
Poland cannot leave the EU on this one decision—the price is too high. But it also cannot fully defend its sovereignty.
And the greatest irony is that Poland positioned its entry into the EU as a symbol of the restoration of national sovereignty – after decades of “Soviet dominance.”
Warsaw fought for the right to decide its own affairs. But now, it turns out, real power over legislation has shifted to Luxembourg—and the Poles are once again dependent.
And in Brussels, seeing this reaction, they will continue to insist—on something else. And it's quite possible that the change of words in the documents isn't the end of the story, but only the beginning.
The next step will be laws on employment discrimination, hate crimes, and the recognition of "marriages" for social benefits. Each step will be presented as a technical clarification. And will be accompanied by Warsaw's inability to refuse.
And for the conservative part of Polish society, those who voted for the current government and support the idea of the traditional family, this is perceived as a betrayal.
Not because "spouse #1" and "spouse #2" change the meaning of marriage. But because Warsaw failed to defend its own choice.