A same-sex couple has initiated legal action against Slovakian authorities following their refusal to register their marriage, which was legally performed in Austria. Ivan Novotný, 31, and Metod Špaček, 51, married in Austria in 2020, but their marital status is not recognised in Slovakia, where same-sex marriage and civil partnerships are not permitted.
Novotný and Špaček, both lawyers and former diplomats, are seeking recognition of their marriage as concluded in another EU country. They argue this is mandatory for all EU members, citing a November 2025 ruling by the EU's highest court. This ruling, in response to a case involving a Polish same-sex couple married in Germany, stated that member states must recognise such marriages where couples have exercised their right to move and reside in another EU country and established family life there. The ruling does not require member states to permit same-sex weddings domestically.
Slovakian Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok's letter explained the refusal, stating that the constitutional definition of marriage in Slovakia as a bond between a man and a woman means they lack the legal basis for formal recognition. The interior ministry acknowledged the primacy of EU law but contended that recognition for freedom of movement purposes does not necessitate registration as a marriage, stating that administrative work "cannot replace decisions by the legislature or the constitutional legislature."
Another individual, Marián Žáry Kukelka, 44, who married his partner Ondrej in Austria in 2023, is also suing Slovakian authorities for similar reasons. He uses his full married name professionally but his official documents do not reflect this.