07/24 – International News Story

Donald Tusk, the Polish prime minister, currently faces significant political blowback in the fallout of his recent failure  to fulfill his major campaign promise of increasing access to abortion.

Despite a strong election victory in October, bolstered by pledges to restore the rule of law and introduce liberal reforms, including same-sex partnerships and easing anti-abortion laws, Tusk encountered a major political defeat on July 12 when he brought the matter to parliament. 

This recent attempt by lawmakers to draft a law aimed at removing this punishment for abortion assistance was shot down by members of parliament by 218 votes against the 215 that were in favor. [Barron’s]

The right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, which governed Poland for eight years until October’s election, implemented a near-total abortion ban in 2020. The current law holds that abortion is only permitted in cases of rape, incest, or when the woman’s life is at risk.

Poland has one of Europe’s strictest laws surrounding abortion, with a penalty of up to three years in jail for even aiding an abortion. 

Protests have erupted throughout Poland as several thousand voters take to the streets to challenge the parliament’s decision to reject a bill decriminalizing assisting abortion. [Barron’s] 

These protests were mostly lead by Women’s rights groups, but were also met with counter-demonstration from anti-abortion activists

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, stated on Tuesday that he felt “very bad that I haven’t found arguments that would convince” those who voted against the bill.” [Politico]

Tusk removed an MP from the position of deputy minister and suspended two MPs from his Civic Coalition party who did not vote for the proposal following the vote. [Politico] 

Opinion: 

Poland is a country with a strong Catholic presence and heritage, exemplifying the modern tug-of-war between conservative religious values and access to modern reproductive rights. Women’s rights to their bodies and decisions surrounding childbirth should be increasingly considered a fundamental human right as we move further into the 21st century, yet there seems to be consistent resistance among government’s of the world’s advanced nations. 

Instances of women dying after being denied abortions and facing complications have significantly eroded the popularity of the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party.

Ahead of the most recent vote, Donald Tusk emphasized that decriminalizing abortion is central to his reform agenda for the country. Many voters supported Tusk’s centrist coalition in October, driven by his promise to expand abortion rights and address the strict punishments surrounding the procedure. His party secured a sizable portion of the female vote, highlighting the importance of this issue for women.

Some members of conservative parties argue that abortion is not as high a priority for Polish citizens as other issues like national security, border defense, the economy, and healthcare. T

his argument is partly supported by Poland’s defense spending, which is 4% of its GDP—the highest of any European state and double the 2% spending target for NATO members. Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski stated that the Polish government plans to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2025. [Reuters] 

Despite this, for a country with around 40 million people, the issue of looser access to abortion remains a central concern for young female voters. It will be interesting to see if Tusk’s ruling coalition can withstand a potential backlash in public opinion if they fail to deliver on this key campaign promise. 

The Left aims to resubmit its decriminalization proposal, hoping to pass it narrowly with support from its backers and potential absenteeism among opposing MPs.

The Left aims to resubmit its decriminalization proposal, banking on potential absenteeism among opposing MPs and strong support from its backers to narrowly pass the bill. However, President Andrzej Duda, a conservative Catholic ally representing the right-wing opposition PiS party, is expected to veto any bill increasing abortion access. 

This veto could be pivotal in mobilizing liberal voters to support an anti-PiS candidate in the next presidential election, provided the coalition manages to advance the bill to Duda’s desk.

Many Polish citizens feel that they propelled the ruling coalition to victory based on the promises of progressive reform and increased reproductive rights, however, disillusionment and betrayal now stain the judgment of Tusk and his party following this recent defeat. 

– P.T.