Poland’s government votes to ease abortion laws in challenge to conservative president
President Karol Nawrocki is aligned with the party that triggered mass protests with its abortion clampdown five years ago, and could veto the government's bills.
Warsaw — Poland’s lower house of parliament recently approved two bills aimed at easing strict abortion laws, a move that could mark a significant victory for the Prime Minister’s coalition. However, these measures are likely to be vetoed by President Karol Nawrocki, a supporter of the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party. The bills would remove criminal penalties for those aiding women in obtaining abortions and re-legalize terminations involving severe fetal abnormalities, reversing a key aspect of Poland’s near-total abortion ban.
Although the bills do not permit abortion on demand up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, as initially promised by Prime Minister Donald Tusk's Civic Coalition, they still represent a step toward greater reproductive rights. The bills were pushed through the parliamentary process after lingering in a committee for two years, sparked by the approaching 2027 general election.
However, the ultimate fate of the bills remains uncertain, as they must first pass through the Senate, where President Nawrocki could veto them. Tusk's coalition will likely continue to push for the liberalization of abortion laws if these measures are blocked.
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