Slovakia defies EU - refuses to register gay couple’s marriage
The order came directly from the country's Prime Minister.
Ivan Novotný and Metod Špaček, who are both Slovak, got married in Austria in 2020. Both nations are EU member states.
In December 2025, they applied to have their marriage registered in Slovakia.
A response to their application has finally been received - in August 2026. Their application has been rejected.
The rejection letter came directly from the Slovak Minister of Interior, Matúš Šutaj Eštok.
Speaking to the media, Ivan Novotný highlighted that the marriage registry office normally handles this process. Novotný claims that the Prime Minister of Slovakia, personally intervened in the matter - directing that the application be rejected because of the country's constitutional ban on same-sex marriages.
The couple is planning legal action to challenge the decision.
The basis for legal action is European law.
In November 2025, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled that EU member states had to recognise same-sex marriages performed in other EU member states.
The precedent was set in relation to two men from Poland who were married in Germany.
Member-states of the EU are obliged to follow European law as interpreted by the Court of Justice of the EU.
What's life like for LGBTQ people in Slovakia?
What’s life like for LGBTQ people in Slovakia? Let’s take a look at some of the key equality indicators.
Is homosexuality legal in Slovakia?
Yes. Same-sex sexual activity was decriminalised in 1962.
The age of consent is 15 regardless of sexuality.
Are there anti-discrimination protections in place for LGBTQ people in Slovakia?
Yes. There are protections against discrimination on the basis of sexuality.
Is there Marriage Equality in Slovakia?
No. There are some limited legal protections available for same-sex relationships.
What’s life like for LGBTQ people in Slovakia?
Slovakia is a socially conservative country. Homosexuality is a taboo subject.
There is a small LGBTQ community in Bratislava.
Reports indicate that while acceptance of LGBTQ people is increasing across the general population, the current government is targeting the queer community as a scapegoat - deliberately rolling back equality measures.
In the recent ILGA report on LGBTQ Equality in Europe, Slovakia was ranked 35th overall. With a total score of 24.92%, Slovakia scored positively on Civil Society Space but lost points on all other criteria.
