EU Court Ruling Forces Bulgaria to Recognize Same-Sex Marriages Performed Abroad

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled that all EU member states are required to recognize same-sex marriages legally conducted in another EU country for the purposes of rights derived from European law. The decision, announced by the court’s press center in Luxembourg, arose from a case involving two Polish citizens married in Germany, whose marriage certificate was rejected by Polish authorities due to Poland’s national law not allowing same-sex marriage - a situation mirrored in Bulgaria.

The court emphasized that refusing to recognize such marriages infringes fundamental rights protected under EU law, particularly the freedom of movement and residence....