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WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish lawmakers voted Friday to move guardant pinch proposals to assistance a near-total prohibition connected abortion, a divisive rumor successful nan traditionally Roman Catholic country, which has 1 of nan astir restrictive laws successful Europe.
Members of nan little location of parliament, nan Sejm, voted to activity connected 4 abstracted bills. Two of them propose legalizing abortion done nan 12th week of pregnancy, successful statement pinch European norms.
POLAND HAS A STRICT ABORTION LAW — AND MANY ABORTIONS. LAWMAKERS ARE NOW TACKLING THE LEGISLATION
The statement of centrist Prime Minister Donald Tusk is seeking to alteration nan rule to let women to terminate pregnancies up to nan 12th week of pregnancy. Tusk won agency past twelvemonth aft an predetermination successful which young group and women turned retired successful ample numbers amid a grounds precocious turnout of astir 75%. Political observers opportunity voters were mobilized aft nan abortion rule was restricted nether nan erstwhile right-wing government.
Dariusz Matecki, apical right, a blimpish lawmaker successful nan Polish parliament, displays a poster showing a fetus and nan words "10th week aft conception," during a ballot connected abortion successful Warsaw, Poland, connected Friday, April 12, 2024. Polish lawmakers voted Friday to proceed activity connected 4 proposals that would loosen nan rule connected abortion, a divisive rumor successful nan traditionally Roman Catholic state which has a near-total ban. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)
Tusk said he believed Poland still astir apt has a agelong measurement to spell to liberalize nan law, but welcomed Friday's votes arsenic a move successful nan correct guidance towards nan defense of nan "fundamental authorities of women." He said he believed nan state would yet extremity up pinch a rule that gives women nan emotion that they are not "an entity of attack, contempt aliases disregard."
Tusk is supported connected nan rumor by nan Left, a personnel of his three-party coalition. However, nan 3rd conjugation partner, nan much blimpish Third Way, favors restrictions connected abortion rights, and nan rumor has been a root of hostility wrong nan government.
Abortion authorities advocates said nan determination to proceed activity connected nan bills, and not cull them outright, was a measurement successful nan correct direction, though they besides don't expect existent alteration successful nan rule coming soon.
Kinga Jelińska, an activistic who helps supply abortions pinch nan group Women Help Women, described being "moderately satisfied" because she is "realistic" astir nan prospects for change.
The Women's Strike, nan Polish statement that led monolithic thoroughfare protests arsenic abortion authorities were restricted, noted that it was nan first clip since 1996 that bills liberalizing ineligible entree to abortion successful Poland were not dropped successful a superior vote.
The group welcomed nan truth that nan 27-member committee created to activity connected nan 4 bills will beryllium led by Dorota Łoboda, a lawmaker who was formerly a Women's Strike activist.
Any liberalization measure would apt beryllium vetoed by President Andrzej Duda, who remains successful agency until nan summertime of 2025.
Duda is simply a blimpish who past period vetoed a measure making nan morning-after pill disposable over-the-counter to women and girls 15 and older. It is not an abortion pill but emergency contraception.
Abortion opponents are besides mobilized successful nan European Union state that has agelong considered nan Catholic religion to beryllium a bedrock of nationalist identity, but which is besides successful nan process of accelerated secularization.
The Catholic church called connected nan religious to make Sunday a time of dream "in defense of conceived life." An anti-abortion objection called nan March of Life is besides being planned successful downtown Warsaw that day.
Currently abortions are only allowed successful nan cases of rape aliases incest aliases if nan woman's life aliases wellness is astatine risk. Reproductive authorities advocates opportunity that moreover successful specified cases, doctors and hospitals move distant women, fearing ineligible consequences for themselves aliases citing their civilized objections. According to Health Ministry statistics, only 161 abortions were performed successful Polish hospitals successful 2022.
The reality is that galore Polish women are already having abortions, often pinch pills mailed from abroad. Reproductive authorities advocates estimate that immoderate 120,000 abortions are carried retired each twelvemonth by women surviving successful Poland.
It is not a crime for a female to execute her ain abortion, only assisting a female is simply a crime.
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One of nan 4 bills that now goes for further activity is simply a connection by nan Left that would decriminalize assisting a female successful having an abortion, presently a crime punishable by 3 years successful prison.
A 4th proposal, introduced by nan Third Way, would support a prohibition successful astir cases but let abortions successful cases of fetal defects — a correct that was eliminated by a 2020 tribunal ruling.
