Poland’s Abortion Protests: What The Law Says And What PM Donald Tusk Promised

Women were set to take to the streets in more than 20 cities and towns across Poland on Thursday, demanding better access to legal and free abortion. They accused Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s liberal government of failing to deliver on its pledge to ease the country’s strict abortion laws.

The protests are going ahead despite parliament passing two bills on Tuesday to relax abortion rules. The proposals would ease criminal penalties for people who help women obtain abortions and permit terminations in cases of foetal abnormalities.

However, the measures are expected to face a veto from conservative President Karol Nawrocki, according to the AP. Organisers of Thursday’s demonstrations accused Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government of breaking its promises to Polish women.

They also argued that his claims of improved access to abortion have made it harder for some women to get the care they need.

“The government's promises act as a type of disinformation,” Marcinek told the AP. “Women getting pregnant hear the prime minister say that everything is ok, that there is access to abortion, and then they end up in the hospital and see that is not the case. So they come to us when it's very late and very complicated and expensive to help them.”

Abortion Rules In Poland

Poland, a predominantly Catholic country, has allowed abortions since 1993 only in cases involving serious foetal abnormalities, risks to the mother’s life or health, or pregnancies resulting from rape or incest.

Since then, women have continued to campaign for legal abortion. In 2016, thousands joined nationwide demonstrations known as the “Black Protest”, with many wearing black to oppose the country’s strict abortion laws.

The current protests come six years after a 2020 court ruling made Poland’s already strict abortion laws even tougher. The decision sparked the country’s biggest demonstrations since the fall of communism, with people taking to the streets carrying slogans such as “The revolution has a uterus” and “My body, my choice”. This year’s rallies have received support from several groups across Poland.

The protests helped build support for Donald Tusk, who came to power in 2023 promising to reform abortion laws within 100 days. However, he stepped back from his pledge last year to legalise abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy, saying there was “simply no majority” in parliament to pass the changes.

Poland still allows abortion only when the pregnancy results from a crime, such as rape or incest, or when continuing it poses a threat to the mother’s life or health.