Poland's parliament votes to ease abortion law

The Polish Sejm passed two bills on October 20 to ease the country's abortion laws. The legislation now moves to the Senate and requires the signature of President Karol Nawrocki, who has indicated he will likely veto the reforms.

The first bill, an amendment to the penal code, passed with a 217-213 vote. It seeks to repeal the provision that allows for up to three years of imprisonment for anyone who performs or assists in a pregnancy termination with the woman's consent outside of legal requirements. Under current law, helping or persuading a woman to have such an abortion is a crime, though women themselves are not penalized. The Law and Justice party and 14 members of the Polish People's Party opposed the measure.

The second bill passed 233-203 and aims to reverse a 2020 Constitutional Tribunal ruling. That ruling made abortion illegal in cases of severe and irreversible fetal impairment, a restriction that has been in place since January 2021. Currently, abortion in Poland is legal only when the pregnancy threatens the life or health of the mother or if the pregnancy resulted from a crime.