Slovak Minister of [the] Interior Matúš Šutaj Eštok announced on Friday, 31 July, that same-sex marriages conducted abroad would not be registered in Slovakia, since such recognition would be in conflict with the Slovak constitution.
In a video broadcast on social media, he affirmed that, in Slovakia, marriage is still defined as “the union between one man and one woman”. Now, according to him, the validity of a marriage celebrated in another State does not change this interpretation of national law.
Nevertheless, this position deviates from the judgment that the Court of Justice of the European Union handed down in November 2025, according to which Member States are required to recognise same-sex unions that have been legally concluded in another Member State.
In addition, Metod Špaček and Ivan Novotný, the couple behind the proceedings, have announced their intention to bring the matter before the Slovak courts—considering this refusal of registration to be against the law.
Prime Minister Robert Fico had already defended this position this past June. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)