Activists opened pop-up abortion clinic outside Polish parliament. Opponents threw acid at it

by Petra Dvořáková, Prague
June 20, 2025

Donald Tusk's Polish government has not yet pushed through abortion law reform. In the meantime, opposite the parliament building, feminists have opened an abortion 'clinic', where they face harassment and bullying by anti-abortion activists several times a week — with no protection from the Polish authorities.

“What can I tell you?” shrugs Nikola, a bearded Netflix employee from Bulgaria, when I ask him how he perceives the current political situation. “The whole of Europe is heading towards fascism!” “I’m constantly angry,” adds his Polish partner Anna, who is looking at sweatshirts on a rack next to the window.

Continued: https://euobserver.com/health-and-society/ar6eb25e24

After one year of new government, anger in Poland over broken abortion promises

Dec 13, 2024
By Alicja Ptak and Christiaan Paauwe, Notes from Poland

Poland’s government came to power last year on a pledge to end the country’s near-total abortion ban. But one year after taking office, that promise remains unfulfilled, leaving many women disillusioned and doubtful of politicians’ commitment to changing the law.

Katarzyna had hoped that Poland’s 2023 parliamentary elections would usher in change. Opposition leader Donald Tusk had promised to end Poland’s near-total abortion ban and introduce abortion on demand within his first 100 days of office. He called women’s rights the “number one issue”.

Continued: https://notesfrompoland.com/2024/12/13/after-one-year-of-new-government-anger-in-poland-over-broken-abortion-promises/

Poland – How much will the abortion issue damage the Tusk government?

Aug 16, 2024
By Aleks Szczerbiak, Notes from Poland

The Polish governing coalition’s defeat in last month’s vote to decriminalise aiding abortions was a wasted opportunity to demonstrate its effectiveness on a highly contentious but symbolically important issue.

It contributed to a growing sense that the coalition came together solely to defeat its right-wing predecessor and contains a wide, often incompatible, range of views, especially on moral-cultural issues.

Continued: https://notesfrompoland.com/2024/08/16/how-much-will-the-abortion-issue-damage-the-tusk-government/

16.08.2024

Commentary

Civic Platform party

Donald Tusk

Law and Justice party

New Left party

Poland 2050 party

Polish Constitutional Tribunal

Polish People’s Party

Poland’s Abortion Reform Stalls as Coalition Politics Clash with Campaign Promises

Aug 12, 2024
Zuzanna Stawiska, Health Policy Watch

Nearly a year after new Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk promised a fresh start for abortion rights, following his election victory in October 2023, reform efforts have stalled as campaign promises collide with the realities of coalition politics in a divided Poland.

Poland is amongst only four countries worldwide to have restricted abortion rights in the past three decades, joining El Salvador, Nicaragua, and the United States. In 2020, Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal, stacked with judges appointed by the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, further tightened the country’s already strict 1993 abortion law.

Continued: https://healthpolicy-watch.news/polands-abortion-reform-stalls-as-coalition-politics-clash-with-campaign-promises/

Almost half of government voters disappointed with failure to liberalise abortion law

JUN 20, 2024
Notes from Poland

Almost half of those who voted for Poland’s ruling coalition are disappointed that it has not yet followed through on its promise to liberalise the country’s abortion law. Meanwhile, over half of young Poles – who voted in record numbers last year – say they are disappointed.

The findings come from a new poll conducted by Ipsos for news outlets OKO.press and TOK FM. They asked respondents how they feel about the fact that, since forming a government in December, the ruling coalition has not changed the abortion law.

Continued: https://notesfrompoland.com/2024/06/20/almost-half-of-government-voters-disappointed-with-failure-to-liberalise-abortion-law/

20.06.2024

News

Andrzej Duda

Civic Coalition

Ipsos poll on abortion

public support for abortion

Poland’s abortion law bickering plagues Tusk coalition

The liberalization of abortion rights was a major election promise made by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. But the issue is controversial and there are major hurdles to a new law.

Jacek Lepiarz
April 15, 2024

Polish women had to wait a long time for this day. Some four months after the center-left coalition under Donald Tusk took office, the liberalization of abortion was finally on the agenda for the Sejm, the country's lower house of parliament. The debate was fierce.

"Old men in suits will no longer decide what women must do with their bodies," shouted Anna Maria Zukowska, a member of parliament for the co-governing The Left alliance, at the presentation of the bill on Friday. "No more hell for women!"

Continued: https://www.dw.com/en/polands-abortion-law-bickering-plagues-tusk-coalition/a-68812592

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

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/