MPs and campaigners accuse Polish government of betrayal over abortion laws

Speaker says parliament will not consider updating country’s draconian abortion policies until mid-April

Weronika Strzyżyńska and Ashifa Kassam
Thu 7 Mar 2024

Women’s groups and politicians have taken aim at Poland’s parliamentary speaker, accusing him of betrayal and seeking to “freeze” the issue of abortion, after he said parliament would not consider legislation to tackle the country’s near-total ban on abortion until mid-April.

“We feel disappointed and betrayed,” said Dominika Ćwiek from Legal Abortion, one of the groups battling the country’s draconian abortion policies. “The rights of Polish women are being treated as a side issue.”

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/07/mps-and-campaigners-accuse-polish-government-of-betrayal-over-abortion-laws

Polish ruling coalition partners clash after speaker delays bills to liberalise abortion law

MAR 6, 2024
Notes from Poland

The left and centre-right wings of Poland’s broad ruling coalition have clashed following a decision by the speaker of parliament to delay the processing of bills aimed at ending the near-total abortion ban introduced under the former government.

On Monday, Szymon Hołownia announced that the abortion bills would not come before parliament until 11 April, four days after local elections take place around Poland. He argued that this was necessary to avoid the legislation becoming a victim of the ongoing election campaign.

Continued: https://notesfrompoland.com/2024/03/06/polish-ruling-coalition-partners-clash-after-speaker-delays-bills-to-liberalise-abortion-law/

06.03.2024

near-total abortion ban

Szymon Hołownia

Third Way party

Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz

Ex-PM says he and “many PiS colleagues” favour overturning abortion ban introduced under their rule

FEB 29, 2024
Notes from Poland

Mateusz Morawiecki, who led the former Law and Justice (PiS) government that oversaw the introduction of Poland’s near-total abortion ban, now says he and “many PiS colleagues” would vote in favour of a proposal by one of the country’s new ruling groups to overturn that ban.

In December, the national-conservative PiS party was replaced in power by a more liberal coalition led by Donald Tusk. Two of the groups in that coalition – Tusk’s centrist Civic Coalition (KO) and The Left (Lewica) – want to not only end the near-total abortion ban but also introduce abortion on demand.

Continued: https://notesfrompoland.com/2024/02/29/ex-pm-says-he-and-many-pis-colleagues-favour-overturning-abortion-ban-introduced-under-their-rule/

Center-right group in Polish ruling coalition submits “compromise” abortion bill to return to pre-2021 law

FEB 24, 2024
Notes from Poland

A bill that would liberalise Poland’s abortion law has been submitted by the centre-right Third Way (Trzecia Droga), which is the more conservative wing of the ruling coalition that took power in December.

The group wants to restore the right to terminate pregnancies in cases where a birth defect is diagnosed in the foetus. Such abortions were banned under the former conservative Law and Justice (PiS) government.

Continued: https://notesfrompoland.com/2024/02/24/center-right-group-in-polish-ruling-coalition-submits-compromise-abortion-bill-to-return-to-pre-2021-law/

24.02.2024

Law and Justice partyp

Will Poland’s New Government Legalize Abortion?

Despite campaign promises, the fight for abortion rights seems far from over.

FEBRUARY 12, 2024
Foreign Policy

After Poland’s parliamentary election in October, many voters were hopeful that the new government would finally scrap the country’s strict abortion law. The law, which had been in place for three decades, was tightened further in 2020, leading to a near-total ban on abortion.

The election ended the eight-year rule of Poland’s right-wing Law and Justice party (PiS), with the opposition winning enough seats to form a coalition government. In the lead-up to the vote, two of the three groups that made up the opposition—the centrist Civic Coalition and the Left—pledged to legalize abortion up to or through 12 weeks of pregnancy; the former promised to do so within the first 100 days in office.

Continued: https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/02/12/poland-abortion-rights-pro-choice-election-coalition-pis-law-ban/

Poland appears torn by abortion. Research hints divide isn’t so deep.

By Lenora Chu, Christian Science Monitor
February 9, 2024

Teresa Barszczowska is a proud Polish conservative, and typically votes her Law and Justice party’s line. But when it comes to a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy, she wishes her conservative leaders would have had more empathy.

That ability to put oneself in another’s shoes was missing, she says, when her party’s leader, Jarosław Kaczyński, imposed a near-total abortion ban in 2020. “He doesn’t have his family of his own; he’s a bachelor. He doesn’t know how it is,” says Ms. Barszczowska, a pensioner. “He really shouldn’t be meddling in these things.”

Continued: https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2024/0209/Poland-appears-torn-by-abortion.-Research-hints-divide-isn-t-so-deep

Tusk faces a big fight overturning Poland’s abortion ban

The prime minister says easing Poland’s near-total abortion ban is a priority, but he’s facing stiff opposition from within.

FEBRUARY 9, 2024
BY WOJCIECH KOŚĆ

WARSAW — Poland’s new government won power thanks to the votes of millions of women, but it's now split over an issue that garnered their support — easing abortion rules.

The far-right nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government ruled from 2015 until last October and, in alliance with the Roman Catholic Church, espoused toughening Poland's already very restrictive abortion rules.

Continued: https://www.politico.eu/article/poland-tusk-faces-big-fight-overturning-abortion-ban/

‘Try harder!’: Poland’s women demand Tusk act over abortion promises

Prime minister pledged to liberalise country’s strict laws within 100 days of taking office – but time is ticking away

Ashifa Kassam
Tue 6 Feb 2024

Wielding placards that read “The revolution has a uterus” and “My body, my choice,” they poured on to the streets of Poland, defying coronavirus restrictions and sub-zero temperatures to take part in the country’s largest protests since the fall of communism.

Three years on, the battle against Poland’s draconian abortion measures has moved from the streets to the country’s legislature, in what campaigners describe as a crucial test of the country’s new government.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/06/poland-women-donald-tusk-abortion-promises

06.02.2024

Polish court throws out $16 fine for swearing at anti-abortion protest

PAUL WALDIE, EUROPE CORRESPONDENT
February 5, 2024

It has taken three years, two guilty verdicts and a lot of frayed nerves, but a Polish court has finally thrown out the $16 fine Julia Landowska received for swearing during an anti-government rally in Gdansk.

Ms. Landowska, a 23-year-old medical student, was charged by the police in 2021 after she took part in a demonstration against new restrictions on abortion. At the time, women across Poland were protesting a decision by the country’s Constitutional Court that banned access to abortion in all circumstances except cases of sexual assault, incest or if the mother’s life or health were at risk.

Continued: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-poland-abortion-protester-fine/

05.02.2024

News

Donald Tusk

European Convention on Human Rights

European Court of Human Rights

Julia Landowska

Law and Justice party

Michal Romanowski

Poland Constitutional Tribunal

Half of public support Tusk’s aim to introduce abortion on demand in Poland, find polls

FEB 2, 2024
Notes from Poland

Two new polls have found that around half of the public support the proposals recently put forward by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s centrist Civic Coalition (KO) and one of its coalition partners, The Left (Lewica), to introduce abortion on demand.

A poll by the IBRiS agency for broadcaster Radio Zet published on Wednesday asked respondents whether abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy should be allowed in any circumstances and without providing a reason.

Continued: https://notesfrompoland.com/2024/02/02/half-of-public-support-tusks-aim-to-introduce-abortion-on-demand-in-poland-find-polls/

02.02.2024