Former Polish PM regrets restricting abortion laws in light of liberalisation push

By Aleksandra Krzysztoszek | EURACTIV.pl
Apr 14, 2024

Former prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki of the former ruling conservative PiS party has said he supports restoring the status quo ‘abortion compromise’ in Poland he had scrapped when in power, as lawmakers push to expand abortion access.

Morawiecki said he feels regret as the proposals now being debated in parliament are even more far-reaching than those previously in force. “If I could turn back time, yes, I would do it. I think the compromise was a bad thing, but much better than what may await us in the future,” he told RMF FM radio.

Continued: https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/former-polish-pm-regrets-restricting-abortion-laws-in-light-of-liberalisation-push/

14.04.2024

News

Donald Tusk

Law and Justice party

Mateusz Morawiecki

Poland Constitutional Tribunal

Trump’s latest claim? That he has moderate abortion views – but don’t be fooled

This week in patriarchy: Trump is walking a tricky tightrope trying to appeal to his evangelical base and moderate voters. His solution? A bunch of contradictory nonsense

Arwa Mahdawi
Sat 13 Apr 2024

Trump’s abortion conundrum
In recent years, Donald Trump has sold NFTs, sneakers, and bibles. Now the perennial marketer is busy selling a new and improved version of himself to voters. Meet Don 2.0: a reasonable man with moderate views on abortion.

Hang on a second, you might say. Trump? The guy who, in 2016, said “there has to be some form of punishment” for women who get abortions? The guy who can’t stop bragging about how he is responsible for overturning Roe v Wade because he filled the supreme court with conservative justices? The guy who, just a few weeks ago, was pondering a 15-week national abortion ban? That guy has now moderated his views on abortion.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/apr/13/donald-trump-abortion-rights-views

13.04.2024

national abortion ban

Roe v. Wade

United States

Politics

PM Donald Tusk faces uphill battle on reforming Polish abortion rights

Polish lawmakers voted Friday to advance bills that would lift a near-total ban on abortion in place since 2020, reviving an extremely polarising debate in the traditionally Roman Catholic country. But by launching an effort to liberalise abortion laws, Prime Minister Donald Tusk is moving to fulfil a campaign promise.

April 12, 2024
By: Sonya CIESNIK

Members of the Sejm (lower house) voted to advance four separate abortion bills on Friday that would help bring Polish law into line with widespread European standards.

Two of the bills would guarantee access to abortion through the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, including the one introduced by Tusk’s Civic Platform party. A third proposes decriminalising offering assistance to a woman in terminating a pregnancy, currently punishable by three years in prison, while a fourth, stricter bill would keep the ban in place but allow abortion in cases of severe foetal defects.

Continued: https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20240412-pm-donald-tusk-faces-uphill-battle-reforming-polish-abortion-rights-poland

Poland is debating an end to its near-total abortion ban, setting up a heated political fight

Rob Picheta, CNN
Thu April 11, 2024

Poland is debating changes to its near-total abortion ban on Thursday, re-opening one of the country’s thorniest social and political debates in an effort to overhaul some of the strictest laws on reproductive rights in Europe.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s party has proposed changing the law – which currently prohibits terminations in almost all cases – to allow for abortions up to the 12th week of pregnancy.

Continued: https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/11/europe/poland-abortion-debate-tusk-intl/index.html

11.04.2024

Law and Justice party

EU votes in favour of classifying abortion access as a fundamental right

By Euronews
April 11, 2024

The European Parliament has voted in favour of including access to abortion in the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights.

The proposal was approved by 336 votes to 163 against, with support mainly coming from left-wing and centrist members.

Hard-left French MEP Manon Aubry attacked what she called "reactionaries" on the right for voting against the measure.

Continued: https://www.euronews.com/health/2024/04/11/eu-votes-in-favour-of-classifying-abortion-access-as-a-fundamental-right

11.04.2024

News

abortion is a fundamental right

On abortion culture wars, Britain takes a different path

As the U.S. grapples with abortion limits, British lawmakers propose scrapping all legal penalties.

APRIL 8, 2024
BY ANNABELLE DICKSON

LONDON — England’s abortion laws could be headed for an overhaul. Brits probably won’t be taking to the streets.

As the United States continues to grapple with the divisive fallout of the 2022 Supreme Court ruling which overturned Roe v. Wade and so ended the federal right to abortion, British lawmakers are gearing up to have their own debate on the hot-button issue.

Continued: https://www.politico.eu/article/abortion-culture-wars-britain/

Biden rips into Trump over abortion statement

The president’s campaign launched a barrage of attacks – putting every draconian state law at the ex-president’s feet.

By ADAM CANCRYN and ELENA SCHNEIDER
April 8, 2024

Joe Biden’s advisers didn’t know if Donald Trump would ever offer up a formal policy on abortion.
But when the moment finally arrived, they were ready.

Trump’s announcement on Monday that he supports leaving the debate about abortion restrictions to the states sparked a torrent of political attacks, with Biden and his allies accusing their GOP rival of ushering in “cruelty and chaos” in the post-Roe v. Wade era.

Continued: https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/08/trump-abortion-biden-2024-00151062

08.04.2024

national abortion ban

UK – MPs propose decriminalising abortion up to 24 weeks

Amendment tabled by cross-party group including Stella Creasy is latest plan to modernise abortion law in England and Wales

Eleni Courea, Political correspondent
Mon 8 Apr 2024

A cross-party group of MPs is proposing to make abortion access a human right in England and Wales, putting forward legislation that would decriminalise abortion up to 24 weeks and introduce protections against access being stripped back.

Proposals to modernise abortion law have been made in the form of amendments to the government’s criminal justice bill, which is due to be debated after parliament returns from its Easter recess later this month. The Commons speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, will choose which ones are voted on. MPs are expected to be given a free vote.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/08/mps-propose-decriminalising-abortion-up-to-24-weeks-england-wales-stella-creasy

Malta – ‘Referendum must decide abortion issue’ – new president

Myriam Spiteri Debono will not say whether she would sign an abortion bill

April 7, 2024
Mark Laurence Zammit

A referendum would be the fairest way to decide the contentious issue of abortion, according to Malta’s new president. Myriam Spiteri Debono said she is personally against abortion but would not say whether she would sign an abortion law if it were to land on her desk.

In her first interview with Times of Malta, the 71-year-old president said: “I’m personally against abortion but I won’t speculate further. But let’s not be delusional about this – just like it was introduced in other countries, it will eventually be introduced [here as well]. I speak with many young people, and I’m astonished at how some of them – a few of whom even frequent church – come to believe that abortion is acceptable in certain circumstances.”

Continued: https://timesofmalta.com/article/watch-referendum-decide-abortion-issue-new-president.1090606

07.04.2024

News

abortion law reform

George Vella

Myriam Spiteri Debono

Abortion Might Be a Winning Issue — Even in Florida

An architect of the ballot initiative to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution speaks out.

By RYAN LIZZA
April 6, 2024

Abortion rights supporters have been on a hot winning streak in state ballot initiatives since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade. Now here comes Florida.

The Florida Supreme Court issued a pair of decisions earlier this week that upheld a strict abortion ban in the state and also cleared the way for Amendment 4, a November referendum on whether to enshrine the right to abortion in the Florida Constitution.

Continued: https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/04/06/abortion-rights-florida-anna-hochkammer-00150870

06.04.2024