Polish Parliament passes bills to liberalise abortion laws

Poland's parliament has voted in favour of two bills easing restrictions on abortion. Poland's current law, which allows abortion only when the pregnancy threatens the mother's life or health or results from a crime such as rape or incest, is among the strictest in Europe. The passage of the bills marks a first step towards dismantling those restrictions and advances the agenda of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who has pushed for the legal change.

The first bill allows abortion when the foetus has a serious and irreversible malformation or a condition that threatens its life. The second removes criminal penalties for assisting an illegal abortion, an offence currently punishable by up to three years in prison.

Opposition voices were also raised. The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) said the vote would diminish the value of the lives of unborn babies with disabilities or life-threatening conditions. Director John Deighan called it a "deeply concerning development for the protection of the unborn in Poland," adding that "a child's life should not be considered less worthy of protection because of a disability or a pre-natal diagnosis." He also warned that decriminalising assistance with illegal abortion could weaken safeguards protecting unborn life, and urged Polish political leaders to adopt measures supporting mothers and children together, rather than expanding access to abortion.

For the bills to become law, they must be signed by the conservative President Karol Nawrocki, who is reported to be considering a veto. The presidential chief of staff has said Nawrocki holds the belief that life must be protected from the moment of conception until natural death.

Parliament is also considering a proposal to allow abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy.