Overview
- The Slovak government announced Friday that it will not register same‑sex marriages or registered partnerships legally contracted in other EU countries.
- Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok cited the Slovak constitution’s definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman to justify the policy.
- The move conflicts with a November 2025 European Court of Justice ruling that requires member states to recognize lawful same‑sex marriages from other EU states for free movement and residence rights.
- A Slovak couple married in Austria said officials refused to register their marriage and they have announced plans to challenge the refusal in court, a step that could lead to national referrals to the EuGH.
- With similar legal rulings in Poland and at the EuGH, Slovakia’s stance could prompt EU infringement procedures, new national litigation, and immediate effects on couples’ residency, family rights and access to benefits.