Włodzimierz Czarzasty reported on the X platform that on Thursday at The Extraordinary Committee will meet at 9 to consider draft laws regarding the right to terminate pregnancy.
"We must consistently fight for women's rights and not give up," wrote the Marshal.
Nowacka announces a breakthrough
The head of the Ministry of National Education, Barbara Nowacka, commented on the matter on Wednesday on TVN24. When asked about the committee meeting scheduled for Thursday, she said that "there will be a breakthrough" on abortion.
There are certain issues that are important to the entire coalition. They, of course, require certain moves from each side of our coalition on October 15 (...). This is also a great work of the MPs who were in this committee, MP (Dorota) Łoboda, MP (Monika) Rosa - in negotiating changes that may be noticeable - said the head of the Ministry of National Education.
What about PSL?
She noted that she could not anticipate the committee's actions, which is why she could not talk about details.
When asked whether PSL would agree to the proposed changes, she assured that the government coalition had found a "golden mean".
As was already agreed at some point, we managed to sit back at the table and (find) proposals that would improve the situation of Poles, Nowacka noted.
In her opinion, the proposed solution will not be perfect, but it will be "a step in the right direction, showing that the coalition shows its strength, agency and community."
Two projects
According to the scan of the decision of the Presidium of the Sejm included in the post, MPs will deal with two projects.
The first is a joint project submitted in July 2024 by MPs from the Left and the Civic Coalition, which concerns the partial decriminalization of abortion with the woman's consent in violation of the provisions of the Act on family planning, the protection of the human fetus and the conditions for the admissibility of termination of pregnancy, and the decriminalization of assistance in independent abortion.
The second is a bill submitted to the Sejm in February 2024 by Trzecia Droga, aimed at reversing the effects of the Constitutional Tribunal's ruling from 2020. It assumes the restoration of the possibility of terminating a pregnancy in the event of a severe fetal defect, which the Constitutional Tribunal found six years ago to be an unconstitutional condition.
Since November 2023, the special committee has also included a parliamentary bill from KO and the Left, which would allow abortion at the woman's will up to the 12th week of pregnancy. The last work on it took place in spring 2024.
Liberalization of abortion law as an election promise
The liberalization of abortion law was one of the electoral declarations of KO and the Left in the campaign before the parliamentary elections in autumn 2023. The change was not adopted, despite several parliamentary projects carried out in the first months after taking power.
After voting on the bill decriminalizing abortion in mid-2024, when there were no votes from the coalition to change it, Prime Minister Donald Tusk admitted that in the current term there is no majority allowing for relaxing the regulations on termination of pregnancy.
The right to terminate pregnancy – what do the surveys say?
From the one conducted in June this year. IBRiS research shows that 44.7 percent respondents are in favor of the Sejm continuing to deal with the provisions liberalizing abortion. 44.4% expressed the opposite opinion. respondents, while 10.9% were undecided. subjects.
Among the supporters of the ruling coalition, the idea of returning the law liberalizing abortion is supported by 76 percent. respondents. In the opposition bloc (PiS, Razem, Konfederacja, Konfederacja Korony Polskiej) 80 percent. respondents are against this idea.
Protests after the judgment of the Constitutional Tribunal
According to applicable law, termination of pregnancy is possible in Poland in two cases: when it poses a threat to the woman's life or health (there are no restrictions regarding the age of the fetus) or when it is the result of a prohibited act (up to the 12th week of pregnancy).
