Poland takes ‘first step’ in relaxing strict abortion rules after key vote – as it happened

• The Polish parliament considered proposals on loosening the country’s near total ban on abortion.

• The MPs looked at four bills: Two are aimed at legalising abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy and another is focused on decriminalisation. The fourth seeks a return to strict 1993 laws.

• The parliament voted on Friday afternoon to send all four bills to a special committee for consideration, despite differences of opinion within the ruling coalition.

• The speaker of the Polish parliament, Szymon Hołownia, said his party backed the bills “out of respect for democracy and concern for the durability of the coalition.”

• Civil society groups and some MPs celebrated the move.

• Miko Czerwiński, head of campaigns at Amnesty International Poland, said that “Poland’s parliament has taken a significant step towards ending Poland’s cruel and draconian restrictions on access to abortion.”

• The Center for Reproductive Rights in Europe said that “this is an important first step towards aligning the law with the majority of European countries where abortion is legal on request.”

• The president of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, the archbishop Tadeusz Wojda, urged Poles “to make this Sunday a day of special prayer in defence of the unborn.”

Ashifa Kassam

Politicians in Poland have voted to move forward with draft legislation aimed at lifting the country’s near-total ban on abortion, in what campaigners described as a crucial first step towards loosening some of Europe’s most restrictive abortion laws.

On Friday MPs in Poland’s lower house of parliament voted to send four bills on abortion for further study by a parliamentary committee, including two that propose legalising abortion until the 12th week of pregnancy.

The long-awaited vote followed a six-hour debate on Thursday, during which the deep divisions over abortion access in Donald Tusk’s ruling coalition were laid bare.

On Friday, reaction to the vote was swift. “This is a historic moment,” said Kamila Ferenc of the Federation for Women and Family Planning. “For the first time since 1996, projects liberalising and decriminalising abortion have been sent to a second reading in parliamentary committee.”

Her organisation had long worked towards this outcome, meeting MPs, educating them and speaking out about the need to change the law, she said. But Friday’s vote was just the beginning of what was likely to be a long legislative journey, she added. “We have a lot of work to do in the future.”

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Miko Czerwiński, head of Campaigns at Amnesty International Poland, said after the votes that “by approving these four amendments, Poland’s parliament has taken a significant step towards ending Poland’s cruel and draconian restrictions on access to abortion, which have had a devastating impact on the lives and health of so many people.”

He added:

Poland needs to urgently amend their abortion law which endangers lives, jeopardises health and contravenes the country’s international and European human rights obligations as well as flies in the face of in the face of the World Health Organization’s abortion care guideline.

As these amendments go through to the next voting stage, it is crucial that politicians listen to the voices of civil society and those people directly affected by the near total ban on abortion and bring the law into compliance with international human rights standards.

The president of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, the archbishop Tadeusz Wojda, has called for a special day of prayer on Sunday.

Wojda urged Poles “to make this Sunday a day of special prayer in defence of the unborn.”

“I ask that in all churches in Poland, at every Holy Mass, we pray for this intention,” he said.

A national march for life is also planned for this Sunday.

The Center for Reproductive Rights in Europe said that “today lawmakers in Poland voted in favour of continuing the legislative process for all 4 draft bills to reforming the abortion law. This is an important first step towards aligning the law with the majority of European countries where abortion is legal on request.”