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Polish government signals U-turn on total abortion ban Polish government signals U-turn on total abortion ban
(about 3 hours later)
A proposed total abortion ban in Poland will not be implemented, a member of the government has said, describing mass protests against the ban as a lesson in humility for the country’s leadership. Senior politicians from Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) have distanced themselves from a controversial proposal to ban abortion, in the wake of a wave of mass protests across Poland that appears to have caught the government off guard.
Jarosław Gowin, the minister of science and higher education, said on Wednesday that the protests by women had “caused us to think and taught us humility”. Jarosław Gowin, the minister of science and higher education, said on Wednesday that the protests had “caused us to think and taught us humility”.
The comments appear to indicate that Poland’s conservative leadership will withhold support from the highly unpopular proposal to ban abortions even in cases of rape, incest or when the mother’s life is at risk. Tens of thousands of people boycotted work and classes on Monday to protest against the proposals, which if enacted would impose a blanket ban on abortion, including in instances of pregnancy as a result of rape or incest.
The rightwing government, led by the Law and Justice party, has been under international pressure not to move forward with the plan, with a debate scheduled for Wednesday in the European parliament on the situation of women in Poland. Despite wretched weather, approximately 30,000 people, many dressed in black, had gathered in Warsaw’s Castle Square, chanting “We want doctors, not missionaries!” and carrying placards bearing messages like “My Uterus, My Opinion”, and “Women Just Want to Have FUN-damental Rights”.
“The protest was bigger than anyone expected – people were astonished,” said Agnieszka Graff, a commentator and activist. “Warsaw was swarming with women in black. It was amazing to feel the energy and the anger, the emotional intensity was incredible.”
The so-called “Black Protests” appear to have shifted public opinion on the abortion issue, with recent polling suggesting not only near-overwhelming opposition to the proposed ban, but increasing support for liberalisation of existing laws.
Polls also appear to suggest support for the government dropping to its lowest levels since elections last year.
PiS did not initiate the proposed legislation, which was first considered by parliament in September as the result of a citizens’ initiative – a petition that has received at least 100,000 signatures – submitted by hardline conservative advocacy group Ordo Iuris and the Stop Abortion coalition.
But the ruling party is regarded by many as having taken ownership of the proposals once its parliamentary deputies voted unanimously in favour of passing them to the next stage of the legislative process, scrutiny by a parliamentary committee. PiS deputies also voted down an alternative, liberalising measure proposed by the pro-choice Save Women coalition.
Both the prime minister, Beata Szydło, and PiS leader, Jarosław Kaczyński, had signalled support for the Stop Abortion proposals, but the government appears to have reconsidered its position following the protests.
Ahead of Gowin saying the protests had led to a rethink, Szydło said on Tuesday that the government “has not worked and is not working on any law amending the current legislation on abortion”. She also implied she had admonished the foreign minister, Witold Waszczykowski, for widely derided remarks on Monday, in which he had said of the protesters “Let them have their fun”, and stated that by “dressing up, screaming silly slogans and vulgarities”, the protesters were “making a mockery of very important issues”.
The senate speaker, Stanisław Karczewski, said on Wednesday that Poland’s upper house of parliament would not initiate work on a bill to further restrict Poland’s abortion law.
Poland already outlaws abortions, with exceptions made only for rape, incest, badly damaged foetuses or if the mother’s life is at risk. In practice, though, some doctors refuse to perform even legal abortions, citing moral objections.Poland already outlaws abortions, with exceptions made only for rape, incest, badly damaged foetuses or if the mother’s life is at risk. In practice, though, some doctors refuse to perform even legal abortions, citing moral objections.
Polish women seeking abortions typically go to Germany or other neighbouring countries to get them or order abortion pills online. Polish women seeking abortions typically go to Germany or other neighbouring countries or order abortion pills online.
Also on Wednesday, the Senate speaker, Stanisław Karczewski, said Poland’s upper house of parliament would not initiate work on a bill that would further restrict Poland’s abortion law. Kaczyński has suggested that the government might accept a new “compromise”, whereby terminations carried out because of a congenital disorder of the foetus would be banned, but terminations of pregnancies as a result of rape or incest would still be permitted.
Karczewski said senators would wait to see what the more powerful lower house of parliament would do. However, he voiced support for a ban on abortions of foetuses with Down’s syndrome, something currently allowed. Campaigners stress that that is unlikely to be acceptable, and that protests will continue. “In previous anti-government protests, it was our parents’ generation on the streets,” says Aleksandra Włodarczyk, 28, a bank administrator who participated in Monday’s protest. “But with this, they have managed to mobilise the young, and we are very angry.”
“They are wonderful children, very much loved by their parents, very loving parents, bringing a lot of warmth and a lot of love into a home. I am a great opponent of killing such children,” Karczewski said.
An anti-abortion initiative gathered 450,000 signatures in support of the total abortion ban. A parliamentary commission is now analysing it. Politicians voted against considering a separate initiative for a more liberal abortion law.
The matter has led to mass protests, the largest on Monday when thousands of women turned out dressed in black. Many boycotted work and classes.