Nawrocki win is ‘devastating blow’ for abortion rights activists in Poland

Any hopes to liberalize the country’s strict abortion rules are lost as the nationalist candidate secured a narrow win.

June 3, 2025
By Claudia Chiappa

Lawmakers and activists are warning that nationalist candidate Karol Nawrocki’s win in the Polish presidential election represents a “defeat” for women’s rights and further threatens abortion access in Poland.

Nawrocki, a self-described football hooligan backed by the right-wing nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party — and by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration — won Poland’s presidential election last weekend, narrowly beating centrist Rafał Trzaskowski.

Continued: https://www.politico.eu/article/nawrocki-win-is-devastating-blow-for-abortion-rights-activists-in-poland/

Going abroad to get an abortion, a struggle for thousands of women in Europe

“Exporting Abortion”, a transnational investigation, reveals that more than 5,000 women in Europe have to travel abroad each year to access abortion services due to obstacles they face in exercising this right in their home country.

20 May 2025
Francesca Barca, Translated by Ciarán Lawless

On 24 April of this year the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) My Voice, My Choice came to a close. The initiative attracted around 1.2 million signatures: a remarkable success for an ECI – a mechanism that calls the European Commission to propose a legal act in an area where the member countries delegated powers to the EU, provided it collects enough signatures. The campaign demanded a financing mechanism to guarantee safe abortion care for all those without access to such services.

Current laws and practices, it seems, are far removed from what civil society knows to be the reality.

Continued: https://voxeurop.eu/en/abortion-abroad-struggle-women-europe/

European Citizens’ Initiative on abortion rights hits 1.2 million signatures

Saturday 19 April 2025
Brussels Times

The pro-choice movement for safe and accessible abortion in the EU reached about 1.2 million verified signatures last week surpassing the threshold required for European Citizens’ Initiatives to induce the European Commission to consider new legislative proposals.

To be successful, a European citizens' initiative (ECI), EU’s main instrument for participative democracy, has to reach one million statements of support as well as minimum thresholds in at least seven countries. The initiative My Voice My Choice exceeded the threshold less than a year after the collection of signatures started. The collection period ends on 24 April.

Continued: https://www.brusselstimes.com/eu-affairs/1542870/european-citizens-initiative-on-abortion-rights-hits-1-2-million-signatures

19.04.2025

European Citizens' Initiative on abortion

Over 5,000 women in Europe have to travel abroad for abortions each year

Legal, bureaucratic and social obstacles are still faced by women, even if they live in countries where abortion is legalised.

7 Apr 2025

THOUSANDS OF WOMEN have to travel to neighbouring countries in Europe to access abortion care due to barriers faced at home.

A cross-border investigation, Exporting Abortion, exposes this stark statistic for the first time, following an extensive examination of data and personal testimonies across Europe.

Our analysis found that more than 5,000 women travel from their home countries every year due to the difficulties they face in accessing abortion care. In 2023, that number was at least 5,860.

Continued: https://www.thejournal.ie/investigates-exporting-abortion-europe-6666436-Apr2025/

EU decoded: Should access to abortion be harmonised within EU?

By Isabel Marques da Silva
28/01/2025

For more than 60 years, Europe has led a global trend towards legal access to abortion. Fears of a reversal of this trend have led to the campaign “My Choice, My Voice”, a citizens’ initiative calling for action from the European Commission.

The Commission is obliged to formally respond to the initiative's demand for a proposal to "ensure that all EU citizens, regardless of nationality or residence, have access to safe and legal abortion services", as the petition exceeded the legal threshold of 1 million signatures collected from more than seven member states, in this case 15 member states were covered.

Continued: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/01/28/eu-decoded-should-access-to-abortion-be-harmonised-within-eu

Election results show ‘urgency’ to get abortion funding at EU level, advocates say

By Lauren Chadwick
June 11, 2024

Women's rights campaigners say a surge in support for the far-right in Europe has made efforts to fund abortion at the EU level even more urgent than before.

Campaigners working to get a funding mechanism for abortion at a European level say the election results have made the effort even more urgent than before.

Continued: https://www.euronews.com/health/2024/06/11/election-results-show-urgency-to-get-abortion-funding-at-eu-level-advocates-say

11.06.2024

My Voice My Choice campaign

Europe

Human Rights

Politics

Abortion rights activists rally voters for EU election

Civil society groups are encouraging voters to stop a far-right surge.

MAY 24, 2024
BY CLAUDIA CHIAPPA

Activists behind a campaign calling for EU-wide abortion rights are urging people to vote against a far-right surge in the European Parliament.

Campaigners will gather Friday evening in Hénin-Beaumont, South of Lille in France, where National Rally leader Jordan Bardella and former leader Marine Le Pen are set to host a party meeting.

Continued: https://www.politico.eu/article/abortion-rights-activists-rally-voters-for-eu-election/

24.05.2024

News

Alice Coffin

European Citizens’ Initiative

Polish far-right slams EU abortion financing initiative

By Aleksandra Krzysztoszek | EURACTIV.pl
May 9, 2024

Funding abortions for women seeking treatment in other EU member states with limited services is “unacceptable”, conservative opposition MP Karina Bosak told Euractiv.pl, referring to a recently registered EU citizens’ initiative.

Bosak referred to the EU Citizens’ Initiative dubbed “My Voice, My Choice”, registered by the European Commission last month. It calls on the Commission to put forward a proposal to set up a fund to cover the costs of women who cannot access abortion in their own member state and choose to travel to another country with more liberal abortion laws.

Continued: https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/polish-far-right-slams-eu-abortion-financing-initiative/

09.05.2024

Activists press for EU-wide abortion right

A petition calling for an EU fund to help women access abortion care in countries with more liberal laws gained 100,000 signatures in its first week.

MAY 2, 2024
BY CLAUDIA CHIAPPA

Civil society groups are pushing for all women in Europe to have access to abortion, regardless of where they live, in a petition that could be considered by the EU executive if it wins enough support.

Organizations from eight EU countries have put forward a European Citizens’ Initiative, “My Voice, My Choice,” asking the European Commission to establish a fund to cover costs for women who can’t access abortion in their own member country and who choose to travel to another with more liberal abortion laws.

Continued: https://www.politico.eu/article/activists-press-eu-wide-abortion-right-petition/

Europe – My Voice, My Choice: For Safe And Accessible Abortion

10/04/2024
European Union
Commission registration number: ECI(2024)000004

Objectives
The “My Voice, My Choice” campaign offers the people of Europe the chance to make women's lives freer, safer, and better; wherever they live in our union, whatever conditions they may find themselves in.

The lack of access to abortion in many parts of Europe not only puts women at risk of physical harm but also puts undue economic and mental stress on women and families, often on the margins of society that can afford it the least.

…To change this we are asking the European Commission to - in the spirit of solidarity - submit a proposal for financial support to Member States that would be able to perform safe termination of pregnancies for anyone in Europe who still lacks access to safe and legal abortion.

Continued: https://citizens-initiative.europa.eu/initiatives/details/2024/000004_en

10.04.2024