Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo
The Polish Sejm [parliament] is set to debate two competing bills on the legality of abortion.
A pro-life bill backed by the Catholic Church that would enact a total ban on abortion was presented to the parliament with over 400,000 signatures, while a pro-abortion bill that would permit abortion on demand for the first trimester and increase access to contraception was also presented to the Sejm.
This bill was sponsored by the Save the Women civic committee and had 200,000 signatures.
Parliament has three months to act on the opposing bills, fueling what is being reported as a “cultural war” between pro-life and pro-abortion campaigners. Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo called for a free vote on the issue in parliament and has indicated her support for the pro-life initiative.
Poland currently protects the right to life with exceptions for rape or incest, disability of the child or health of the mother.
Editor’s note. This appeared at the Parliamentary Network for Critical Issues.