On Friday, Andrzej Duda, the conservative president of Poland, sparked a controversy among liberal and left-wing politicians by vetoing a proposed law aimed at facilitating the access of women to the emergency contraceptive pill. Duda’s move has provoked frustration among Poland’s population, particularly as the coalition government, in power since December, has been sluggish to fulfil its electoral promise of liberalising Poland’s near-total abortion ban – a critical issue on the country’s political agenda.
Poland, a predominantly Catholic nation, together with one other state in the 27-member European Union, makes it mandatory for women to present a prescription in order to purchase emergency contraceptives. The proposed law which Duda vetoed, sought to permit over-the-counter sales of the pill to anyone above 15 years old, effectively dismantling restrictions set up in 2017 by the nationalist Law and Justice Party’s previous administration, with whom Duda is affiliated.
A spokesperson from Duda’s office remarked that Duda was unable to support legislation that would permit under 18s to access contraceptive products without consultation with a healthcare professional or guardian. Notwithstanding, the statement also affirmed that the president could be inclined to authorise over-the-counter morning-after-pill availability for mature females.
Members of the New Left, who form part of the current pro-European coalition government, reacted angrily to this development. New Left legislator Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus expressed her displeasure on a popular social media platform, implying that conservative principles had triumphed temporarily over women’s rights and scientific fact. Despite this setback, the New Left has vowed to fulfil their pledge of making emergency contraception accessible to Polish citizens.
The Health Minister, Izabela Leszczyna, earlier intimated that if Duda rejects the proposed bill, pharmacists would be authorized to issue the prescriptions necessary for the purchase of the pill, thereby eliminating the need for a medical consultation. The present government, however, is divided on the matter of abortion, split between liberal and conservative factions. Nonetheless, the coalition recently renewed budgetary aid for in-vitro fertilization procedures.