first parliamentary step taken towards liberalizing access to abortion

“We keep our word! Parliament will deal with all projects relating to the right to abortion”, welcomed the Civic Coalition of Prime Minister Donald Tusk on social networks. Four draft texts liberalizing access to abortion in Poland, submitted by members of the pro-EU coalition in power, passed a first obstacle in Parliament on Friday April 12. Motions calling for these texts to be rejected were rejected by MPs.

The alliance of pro-EU parties came to power in October promising to legalize abortion, which is currently only permitted if the pregnancy is the result of sexual assault or incest, or if it poses a threat directly to the life or health of the mother. Proposed laws aimed at granting women more reproductive rights must now be submitted to a special parliamentary committee.

The presidential obstable

But even if parliament approves the reforms, President Andrzej Duda, a conservative Catholic and allied with the nationalist opposition PiS party, is unlikely to sign them into law. The government alliance, made up of the Civic Coalition and its Third Way (Christian Democratic) partners and the left, does not have the three-fifths majority required to overturn a presidential veto.

In the event of an impasse, the alliance will have to wait until next year’s presidential election, in the hope of seeing Andrzej Duda replaced by a liberal candidate.