The bill was introduced by the liberal opposition party Freedom and Solidarity and provided for same-sex couples to register with the notary. This registration entitles them to, among other things, social security, inheritance law and the right to make medical choices.

Of the 76 votes needed to get the bill through parliament, the bill only got 50, much to the disappointment of President Zuzana Čaputová. She writes on Facebook: "I don't know how we want to contribute to the feeling of security and acceptance of our fellow citizens when MPs are afraid of even an ordinary notary's book." She demands action, also referring to the recent murder of two gay men. That extreme right-wing attack caused a shock wave in the country. According to the attacker, the LGBT+ community is an enemy of the "white race".

Still, in the wake of the attack, parliamentarians oppose the registered partnership. “Our society is not threatened by the love of two people of the same sex, nor their partner relationship,” emphasized the president. “Our society shows indifference and insensitivity when even such a terrible tragedy does not move enough MPs to take the necessary and right step.”

Voor de ChristenUnie, een gedoogpartner van Čaputová’s coalitie, is het onderwerp te belangrijk om door een incident te worden beïnvloed. Parlementariër Richard Vašečka benadrukt dat kinderen “recht hebben op een vader en een moeder”.

Parliamentarian Richard Vašečka emphasizes that children “have the right to a father and a mother”. Slovakia thus remains one of six countries in the EU where gay couples cannot enter into a partnership. Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania also do not offer this option to their nationals.