Slovakia Refuses to Recognise Gay Marriage, Setting Up Clash With European Union Law

Slovak couple, Ivan Novotný and Metod Špaček, applied to have their marriage certificate registered before the Special Registry Office eight months ago. On Monday, 10 August, the couple received a rejection letter. The response did not come from the registry office but straight from the Minister of Interior of the Slovak Republic and signed by Matúš Šutaj Eštok.

'It was a rejection... This constitutes blatant, undisguised political interference in a proceeding that, by law, must be conducted independently and in accordance with the law,' Novotný said on Instagram. He headlined his post with the following in all-caps: 'Political Interference Instead of a Legal Decision.'

Couple Will File a Case

Novotný said he and Špaček filed their application for recognition in December: 'We submitted our application to the registry office, and it was the registry office that should have made the decision. Instead, we learned of the rejection—which was based on weak legal arguments—only through a letter from the incompetent Šutaj Eštok.'

The disgruntled husband alleged that no less than Prime Minister Robert Fico visited the Special Registry Office on 12 June, ordering the refusal of the recognition of marriage. Fico invoked the country's constitutional amendment approved in September 2025 that only recognised two genders: male and female. Aside from restricting marriage among same-sex couples, the amendment also bars them from adopting children.

Public prosecutor Maroš Žilinka intervened on behalf of the couple, but it fell on deaf ears as Eštok rejected the plea. The rejection letter was made with finality, declaring the matter closed. But it's not the end for Novotný and Špaček, who plan to seek legal remedy.

'Naturally, together with our legal team from Dentons—led by Peter Kubina—we will now file an administrative lawsuit challenging the rejection of the request; we began preparing it today. I reiterate that I have no doubt we will ultimately achieve equality for all in Slovakia as well,' said Novotný.

European Union Intervention

The matter has also reached the European Union (EU). The European Commission, the organisation's executive branch, is closely monitoring the incident. The Commission warned Slovakia against defying the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU), which ruled that same-sex marriage must be recognised.

CJEU rulings take precedence over national laws and must be implemented among the 27 member countries. The CJEU also provides that members must recognise marriages 'lawfully concluded in another member state.' Novotný and Špaček were married in Austria in 2020.

After receiving reports of Slovakia's refusal to recognise the marriage of Novotný and Špaček, the Commission issued the following opinion: 'One of the foundations of our Union is that EU law, as interpreted by the Court of Justice of the EU, takes precedence over national law. All Member States have the obligation to fully implement all judgments of the CJEU. We will continue to monitor the situation very closely and, if necessary, will not hesitate to use all the instruments at our disposal.'

Novotńy accused the Interior Minister of disregarding EU law. 'As for Šutaj Eštok, he couldn't care less about the law—something we have seen time and again,' Novotný said. He added that Slovakia's 2025 constitutional amendment was driven by hatred.