After a year of work, the Ministry of Equality unveiled the draft of the Registered Civil Partnerships Act on 18 October. The conservative proposal has gained support from all parties in the ruling coalition, except for the Polish People's Party (PSL), which holds 36 seats in the Sejm. Why is the PSL attempting to block reforms supported by the majority of the public?

On 22 October, during an interview on Polsat News, Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz was asked whether the Church would back the civil partnerships initiative. "I believe the Church will not interfere in legislative work within parliament—that’s the responsibility of politicians," stated the Metropolitan Bishop of Warsaw. When asked for his personal view, he remarked that there are people who wish to enter such unions and that "believers and the Church must show some tolerance towards these individuals' perspectives."

An excerpt from Cardinal Nycz’s statement was shared on X by LGBTQ+ rights activist Bart Staszewski, who expressed surprise at the comment. Journalist Eliza Michalska responded to the post, writing: "I don’t understand why, in our country, we should take into account the opinion of the Church—a private institution that unites people with certain beliefs and discriminates against various social groups based on their status and sexual orientation—when making laws concerning the personal and intimate lives of citizens."

Cardinal Nycz’s recent statement has underscored just how out of touch the PSL’s resistance to civil partnerships has become. According to an IPSOS poll conducted on 26 September, 74% of Third Way party voters support the legalisation of same-sex unions. PSL politicians are invoking religious beliefs to justify their opposition—a stance not only questionable in a secular state but also misaligned with the views of the Church’s higher hierarchy. Notably, civil partnerships for LGBTQ+ individuals have even received support from Pope Francis.

Equality Minister Katarzyna Kotula, whose ministry drafted the bill, commented on the PSL’s stance. She wrote on X: "From the beginning, the PSL opposed proceeding with the registered partnerships bill as a government measure, claiming it was outside the coalition agreement. I believe the government bill on registered partnerships is an enactment of point seven of that agreement, which concerns non-discrimination." Kotula also pointed out that Poland is obligated to recognise same-sex unions under two rulings by the European Court of Human Rights.