Image: Shutterstock – Presidential Palace, Warsaw
Poland’s parliament has voted to roll back key protections for unborn children, approving two bills that would widen the circumstances in which abortion is permitted and remove criminal penalties for people who help women obtain abortions.
The votes, held in the lower house of parliament, the Sejm, on Tuesday 20th October, mark a significant step in Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s efforts to liberalise Poland’s abortion laws. However, both measures face a likely veto from President Karol Nawrocki, who has opposed moves to loosen the country’s restrictions.
One bill would restore the legal grounds for abortion in cases of severe and irreversible foetal abnormalities or an incurable condition threatening the unborn child’s life. This ground was removed in January 2021 following a 2020 Constitutional Tribunal ruling that found it unconstitutional.
The measure passed by 233 votes to 203, with one abstention. Under the existing law, abortion is generally permitted only where the pregnancy threatens the mother’s life or health, or where it results from a criminal act such as rape or incest.
The second bill, which passed by a narrower margin of 217 votes to 213, would remove criminal penalties for assisting a woman in obtaining an unlawful abortion. Under current provisions, those who help procure an illegal abortion can face up to three years in prison. The proposed changes would also remove criminal liability for performing an abortion with a woman’s consent in circumstances where the procedure remains unlawful.
The votes represent a breakthrough for Tusk’s governing coalition, which promised to liberalise abortion laws after winning the 2023 election. Previous efforts to reform the legislation have been frustrated by divisions within the coalition and resistance from socially conservative politicians.
Nawrocki, who is aligned with the national-conservative opposition, is expected to block the reforms. His chief of staff reiterated that the president supports the protection of life from conception to natural death. Even if the bills progress through parliament’s remaining stages, a presidential veto would leave their future uncertain.
A separate proposal to permit abortion on request up to the 12th week of pregnancy remains under consideration in parliamentary committees. Poland would therefore retain some of Europe’s strictest abortion laws even if the two bills passed on Tuesday were enacted.
The votes have renewed concerns that legal protections for unborn children are being weakened under pressure to expand abortion access. Restoring abortion on grounds of foetal abnormality would also raise serious questions about the equal value of human life, particularly for unborn children diagnosed with disabilities or life-limiting conditions.
John Deighan, SPUC’s Chief Executive, said: “These votes are a deeply concerning development for the protection of unborn children in Poland. A child’s life should not be considered less worthy of protection because of a disability or a diagnosis before birth. Every unborn child deserves the same recognition of their inherent dignity and value.
“Removing penalties for those who facilitate unlawful abortions also risks weakening the safeguards intended to protect unborn life. We urge Poland’s political leaders to recognise that genuine care for women must include support for both mother and child, rather than expanding access to abortion as the answer to difficult circumstances.”
