Current:Home > InvestPoland's parliament backs easing of abortion laws, among the strictest in Europe -Elite Financial Minds
Poland's parliament backs easing of abortion laws, among the strictest in Europe
View
Date:2025-04-17 19:40:34
Lawmakers in Poland have voted in favor of measures to ease the country's near-total ban on abortion, setting the stage for a potential clash over women's rights with the country's conservative president. With their vote on Friday, parliamentarians endorsed several proposals to relax the abortion restrictions, including one from newly elected Prime Minister Donald Tusk's party to decriminalize abortions up to 12 weeks into a pregnancy.
The proposals, however, are likely to face opposition from President Andrzej Duda, who is aligned with the staunchly conservative Law and Justice Party, known by its Polish initials PiS.
Poland's current abortion law, introduced in 2020 by a PiS-backed court, is widely regarded as one of the strictest in Europe. It allows for abortions only in very limited circumstances. Even in cases of severe fetal abnormalities or rape, abortion is not permitted under the current law.
Punishment for having the procedure can vary depending on the circumstances, but even helping someone obtain an abortion in Poland or promoting the procedure carries a potential penalty of up to three years in prison.
Several expectant mothers have died of complications in recent years after doctors refused to terminate their pregnancies, fearing prosecution.
Two of the proposed bills backed by lawmakers on Friday aim to decriminalize abortions up to the 12th week of pregnancy, while another focuses on decriminalizing abortion altogether.
Despite campaign promises from Tusk to liberalize Poland's abortion laws, his government is now grappling with the extent of the changes it feels it can back. The issue has shown deep divisions within Polish society, with some advocating for greater reproductive freedoms while others staunchly opposing any loosening of the current restrictions.
The president of the parliament, Szymon Holownia, has proposed holding a national referendum on the issue. A referendum result backing an easing of the restrictions would heap more pressure on Duda, who has so far vetoed any attempt to amend the existing laws that were pushed through by his political allies.
A November 2022 survey in Polan found that 70% of respondents supported legal abortions up to the 12th week of pregnancy, indicating widespread public support for an easing of the current laws.
The measures voted on Friday were not pieces of actual legislation, just proposals on which future bills could be based. But along with the public opinion polls and moderate Prime Minister Tusk's December election win over incumbent Mateusz Morawiecki, a right-wing nationalist of the PiS party, it hints at a wider shift in attitudes in what has emerged over the last decade to be one of Europe's most conservative-leaning nations.
- In:
- Women's Health
- Abortion Pill
- Abortion
- European Union
- Poland
Anna Noryskiewicz is a CBS News journalist based in Berlin, Germany, who covers politics, conflict and crime in Europe and beyond. Anna worked previously for a range of global outlets including BBC News, NPR and Al Jazeera. She speaks five languages, including Mandarin, German, Polish and Russian.
Twitter InstagramveryGood! (4539)
Related
- Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
- Michigan woman will serve up to 5 years in prison for crash into icy pond that killed her 3 sons
- David McCallum, star of hit TV series 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' and 'NCIS,' dies at 90
- 'Murder in Apt. 12': About Dateline's new podcast unpacking the killing of Arkansas beauty queen
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- Video shows landmark moment when sample of asteroid Bennu touches down on Earth
- AP Interview: Jennifer Granholm says US aims to create nuclear fusion facility within 10 years
- Monday night’s $785M Powerball jackpot is 9th largest lottery prize. Odds of winning are miserable
- Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
- Former environment minister in Albania sentenced to prison in bribery case
Ranking
- Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
- Turks and Caicos Islands judge delivers mixed verdict in high-profile government corruption case
- Horseless carriages were once a lot like driverless cars. What can history teach us?
- With a government shutdown just days away, Congress is moving into crisis mode
- Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
- Column: Ryder Cup is in America’s head. But it’s in Europe’s blood
- Horseless carriages were once a lot like driverless cars. What can history teach us?
- Hollywood screenwriters and studios reach tentative agreement to end prolonged strike
Recommendation
Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
Thailand receives the first Chinese visitors under a new visa-free policy to boost tourism
At least 360 Georgia prison guards have been arrested for contraband since 2018, newspaper finds
How a DNA test inspired actress-activist Kerry Washington's journey of self-discovery
Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
Mel Tucker’s attorney: Michigan State doesn’t have cause to fire suspended coach over phone sex
'Tiger King' Joe Exotic calls out Florida State QB Jordan Travis for selling merch
As Gen. Milley steps down as chairman, his work on Ukraine is just one part of a complicated legacy