The proposal to rid the punishment for those aiding in abortions was dismissed by Poland’s lower chamber on Friday, illuminating the significant disagreements in the leading coalition concerning the relaxation of one of the strictest abortion laws in Europe. The suggested legislation aimed to abolish prosecution for those who assist with an abortion for example by supplying abortion tablets, and for doctors performing abortions during the initial weeks of pregnancy or due to foetal abnormalities.
With the country’s past nationalistic government implementing an almost absolute abortion ban in 2021, discussions on reproductive health and rights are prolific in Poland. Since taking office in December, the broad alliance of the moderate left and right led by Prime minister Donald Tusk has reinitiated public funding for IVF and enforced changes in the access to emergency contraception.
However, despite his party’s prior commitment to enable access to abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, progress remains stalled due to discord within the dominant coalition. The present regulations allow abortions solely in instances of rape or incest or when the woman’s health or life is endangered.
This April, four proposed amendments to ease abortion restrictions were forwarded to a cross-party committee for review. The bill debated and eventually rejected on Friday was the first to be considered and voted against by almost half of the Christian Democratic Third Way party’s members, a part of the government, along with the opposing Law and Justice (PiS) and Confederation parties.
Reproductive rights activists consider this vote as a setback, deputy family minister, Aleksandra Gajewska stated that due to fear of retribution, doctors would still hesitate to conduct abortions, and friends assisting in abortion risk incarceration. She further added that women’s concerns for their health and life remain unabated.
However, the deliberation on the remaining amendments continues. Two of them propose to legalise abortion till the twelfth week of pregnancy, while the third, introduced by the Third Way party, aims to restore the right to abortion in instances of foetal irregularities, reverting to the state prior to the constitutional court decree of 2020.
President Andrzej Duda, a staunch anti-abortionist and ally of the PiS party, has promised to employ his presidential veto to prevent the defeated bill from transforming into law, should it have been approved. His tenure is expected to end late next year.