Polish pro-EU coalition still divided over abortion law

The Polish parliament discussed on Thursday a draft bill that would liberalise the country’s strict abortion law, but differing views on how far the new law should go continue to divide the ruling coalition.

As the already rigid abortion law was further tightened under the previous conservative Law and Justice (PiS, ECR) government, the new ruling pro-EU parties (EPP/S&D/Renew/Greens) pledged to liberalise it.

Yet, guided by different perspectives, they struggle to find common ground on the issue. As a result, they submitted four separate drafts to the parliament, each with varying degrees of liberalisation.

The Third Way, an alliance consisting of centre-green Poland 2050 (Renew) and agrarian Polish People’s Party (PSL, EPP), has the most conservative approach: The alliance insists on bringing back the laws that had been in place until the 2020 ruling of the Constitutional Tribunal, which restricted abortion in all scenarios.

Under the so-called abortion compromise, adopted in 1993, abortion was allowed in three cases: a threat to the mother’s health and life, serious foetal damage, and the pregnancy being a result of a rape. The second reason was scrapped by the Tribunal in 2020, causing major protests nationwide.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s Civic Coalition (KO, EPP) wants abortion to be permitted on demand until the 12th week of pregnancy. The most far-reaching is the draft by the New Left (S&D), which also de-penalises helping in abortion.

Parliamentary speaker Szymon Hołownia postponed the legislative process after the local elections (7 April), aiming to avoid the drafts being discussed during the campaign and resulting in the politicisation of the issue.

His decision drew harsh criticism from the Left lawmakers, who accused Hołownia of deliberately delaying difficult topics for him and his party.

Heated debate

Hołownia had said the parliament would proceed with the abortion laws on the first sitting after the local elections last weekend.

Yet, the long debate during the first reading was particularly heated.

“Termination of pregnancy is not prohibited in Poland, but the paradox is that assisting in the termination of pregnancy is punishable with three years of imprisonment,” said leading New Left MP Anna Maria Żukowska.

She added, “Husbands, partners, mothers, sisters, and friends are punished “for love, for empathy, for help.”

“Old men in suits will not dictate to women what they should do,” Żukowska added.

Minister for Equality Katarzyna Kotula (New Left, S&D) called on the lawmakers who oppose abortion because of their conscience to “begin thinking about women.”

In her view, “abortion must be free, as it is a normal medical procedure.”

“The state is failing because politicians have taken away women’s freedom, which is the right to decide about oneself,” said vice-speaker Monika Wielichowska (KO, EPP)

On the other hand, PSL’s (EPP) Urszula Pasławska appealed for a referendum, while PiS and the rightist Confederation party held a different opinion.

“If you have an abortion, you are still a mother but of a dead child,” said Confederation’s Karina Bosak, wife of the party’s co-leader Krzysztof Bosak.

She called abortion a “perfect solution” for the women’s partners because it removes “100% of their responsibility” for the pregnancy.

“They are not the ones who will live in guilt and remorse. They won’t be the ones who feel pain and bleed,” she stressed.

Despite a controversial topic being discussed, the turnout at the debate was surprisingly low, with the chamber almost empty. The reason might be the committees’ sitting simultaneously, media speculate.

PiS and Third Way are getting closer to each other

The voting on the four drafts liberalising abortion law is scheduled for Friday (12 April).

PiS has already declared it will not free its lawmakers from a voting discipline on the drafts and announced it would submit motions to reject three of the four drafts, mainly the two by the New Left and the one by the Civic Coalition.

Regarding the Third Way’s draft, “it would probably meet with different opinions in the party,” said PiS MP Katarzyna Sójka.

It may turn out that the Third Way has more in common with PiS on abortion than with its own coalition partners, considering some lawmakers’ statements.

For example, senior parliamentary speaker and former Agriculture Minister Marek Sawicki (PSL, EPP) said “he cannot understand” the proposal of abortion on demand “without any medical reasons.”

He insisted his stance on abortion has not changed for 30 years.

“I won’t vote for any bills liberalising the abortion (laws),” he announced.

(Aleksandra Krzysztoszek | Euractiv.pl)

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