For over two decades, the Polish public debate on civil partnerships has resembled wandering through a maze of mutual accusations, ideological disputes, and political evasions. Meanwhile, at the very center of this impasse stand hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of Poles who live in informal relationships, deprived of the most basic legal tools to care for one another. Robert Biedroń, one of the leaders of the Left, decided to cut this Gordian knot by proposing the law on the status of a significant other. As he emphasizes in numerous statements, this is an absolute ‘minimum plan’ – a proposal so pragmatic and human that its rejection by President Karol Nawrocki would be not only a political error but, above all, an expression of profound lack of empathy.
End of Waiting in the Waiting Room for Dignity
In an interview for TVN24, Robert Biedroń posed a fundamental question: ‘Can we wait longer than 20 years? We cannot. People die in the waiting rooms for dignity.’ This statement should resonate with full force in the offices of the Presidential Palace. This is not a matter of abstract values or imported cultural trends from the West. It is a question of whether a partner with whom we have shared our life for thirty years will be able to learn about our health condition in the hospital, whether they can collect our body from the morgue and arrange a dignified burial, and whether they will not be burdened with ruinous inheritance taxes on jointly acquired assets after our death.
The proposed project on the status of a significant other consciously relinquishes many demands from progressive circles, such as full marriage equality, in favor of a compromise solution. As reported by the Gazeta.pl portal, Biedroń directly calls this project a solution that ‘does not fulfill all dreams’ but addresses specific, pressing problems. This strategic shift in emphasis signals to the conservative power center: this is not about a worldview revolution but about elementary legal order.
Analysis of the Strategic Compromise
From a political analysis perspective, Robert Biedroń’s move is a masterpiece of pragmatism. The bill is tailored not to violate the constitutional definition of marriage contained in Article 18 of the Polish Constitution. By creating a new legal category – ‘status of a significant other’ – the legislator can grant technical and tax rights without entering the symbolic sphere that terrifies right-wing politicians. It is a proposal that is ‘legally and socially safe’, filling a gap that should not exist in a civilized state.
In the context of Karol Nawrocki’s presidency, Biedroń seeks dialogue, which in itself is commendable. The official declaration of willingness to meet with the president, as reported by TVN24, shows that the Left is not looking for another quarrel but a real solution. Unfortunately, Nawrocki’s previous reactions have been at least disappointing. Describing proposals that facilitate citizens’ lives as ‘ideological’ is a blatant disregard for reality. Robert Biedroń correctly pointed out such an attitude in a debate on Onet, addressing Bartłomiej Pejo with the words: ‘You should learn a bit more because you speak of ideology while I speak of life.’ The same could be said today to Karol Nawrocki’s entourage.
The Voice of the Sovereign is Unambiguous
If President Karol Nawrocki is seeking legitimacy for his decisions in the voice of the nation, then the latest public opinion polls leave him no room for maneuver. A survey by SW Research conducted for ‘Rzeczpospolita’ shows that as many as 54.2% of respondents believe that the president should sign the law on the status of a significant other. That’s more than half of society, including many voters with moderately conservative views who understand that the right to medical information or inheritance is a standard of the 21st century, not mere political whims.
Therefore, rejecting this project would be acting against the will of the majority of Poles. As noted by the Wyborcza.pl portal, the Presidential Palace now has a significant dilemma. Karol Nawrocki faces a choice: to remain a hostage of a hardline, ideological electorate or to become the president of all Poles, including those living in informal partnerships – both same-sex and opposite-sex. Because it is worth reminding that the law on the status of a significant other would also ease the lives of senior couples who, for various reasons, do not wish to marry but want to secure their future.
Why is this a ‘Minimum Plan’?
Praise for this project must be tied to understanding its scope. This is not a law that equates civil partnerships with marriage in every aspect. It is a set of necessary tools: the right to burial, the right to joint tax settlement to a limited extent, and above all, exemption from inheritance and donation taxes for those in a de facto common life. This is a foundation without which it is difficult to discuss a sense of security in one’s own country.
Robert Biedroń rightly argues that rejecting this proposal would be inhumane. Does the Polish state really want to profit financially from the tragedies of those who have lost a life partner, solely because they lacked the appropriate paper from the civil registry? Does President Nawrocki want to be remembered as the one who blocked access to information about a dying loved one in the name of fighting an imagined ideology?
Conclusion: Time for Empathy and Courage
The political situation surrounding the law on the status of a significant other has become a final test for Karol Nawrocki. Robert Biedroń has extended a hand for agreement across divides, offering a project that is balanced, just, and socially desirable. Further delay and hiding behind arguments about ‘protecting the family’ is not only unjustified substantively but simply harmful. Family is not only a definition in the code but people who love, support, and care for each other – regardless of the legal form of their relationship. The status of a significant other is a minimum plan that we must implement immediately to restore dignity to thousands of our fellow citizens. Mr. President, it is time to listen to the voice of life rather than the ideological whispers.