Slovakia’s Interior Ministry has decided that same-sex marriages concluded abroad will not be entered into the country’s official registers. The decision follows requests from couples married in Austria and is based on Slovak law, which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Prime Minister Robert Fico (SMER-SD) said Slovak legislation does not allow such registrations.
However, lawyer János Fiala-Butora argues that European Union law takes precedence and says Slovakia is obliged to respect EU commitments. He added that affected couples can challenge the decision before EU institutions or international courts. The issue follows a European Court of Justice ruling concerning recognition of same-sex marriages within the EU.
Source: STVR
Veronika Ščepánová; Photo: STVR
