Polish MP Dorota Loboda from the ruling Civic Coalition has stated that work on liberalizing abortion legislation will resume after the presidential elections scheduled for May 2025.
According to AFP, Loboda, who heads the relevant parliamentary committee, explained that lawmakers are awaiting a change in the presidency, which, in her view, will create more favorable conditions for advancing the legislation.
The issue of abortion rights remains one of the most contentious topics in Polish politics. In 2020, the country’s Constitutional Tribunal, supporting the then-ruling Law and Justice party, effectively introduced an almost total ban on the procedure. Currently, abortion in Poland is allowed only in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother’s life and health are at risk, while assisting in pregnancy termination is punishable by up to three years in prison.
Previously, the ruling coalition proposed a bill to decriminalize abortions up to the 12th week of pregnancy with the woman’s consent. However, it failed to pass in parliament. Polls indicate that the majority of Polish citizens support allowing abortion in cases where the mother’s life and health are at risk, as well as in cases of severe fetal abnormalities.
