Poland’s lower house of parliament has voted to ease the country’s strict abortion laws, including allowing terminations in cases of foetal abnormalities and decriminalising assistance provided to women seeking abortions.
However, the proposed legislation is widely expected to face a veto from nationalist President Karol Nawrocki, who has signalled his opposition to liberalising abortion laws.
Poland, a predominantly Catholic country, introduced a near-total abortion ban in 2021 after its Constitutional Tribunal ruled that terminations due to foetal abnormalities were unconstitutional. The restrictions triggered widespread protests across the country.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s pro-European coalition won the 2023 election partly on a promise to ease abortion restrictions. However, efforts to reform the law have faced resistance from the president.
Leah Hoctor, vice-president for Europe at the Center for Reproductive Rights, told Reuters that the proposed changes would have limited impact on women seeking abortion care.
“The reality is that these pieces of legislation represent very limited small-scale reform and would not improve the situation for most women in Poland who need abortion care,” she said.
Separate draft legislation seeking to legalise abortion on request up to 12 weeks of pregnancy is also being considered by parliamentary committees.
Tusk’s government has previously taken steps to expand access to abortion under existing regulations, which allow terminations on mental health grounds.
Under current Polish law, abortion is generally permitted only in cases involving rape or incest, or when a woman’s health or life is at risk.
