Europe – MEPs demand answers over EU funding of anti-abortion charity

Politicians express concern after openDemocracy revealed EU gave €1.2m to group spreading reproductive disinformation

Sian Norris
19 December 2024

Members of the European Parliament have demanded answers over the European Union’s funding of an anti-abortion organisation.

Earlier this year, openDemocracy revealed the EU’s Erasmus+ programme had handed €1.2m to the World Youth Alliance (WYA), a US-based charity that promotes anti-abortion disinformation.

Now, politicians from Poland, Germany, Sweden and Slovakia have urged the European Commission to “commit to reviewing and potentially halting EU funding for organisations that oppose reproductive freedom”.

Continued: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/eu-anti-abortion-funding-questions-world-youth-alliance-erasmus/

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