Polish Parliament Approves Limited Abortion Law Easing

The lower house of the Parliament of Poland approved two bills on October 21 to ease the country's near-total abortion ban. The legislation would allow terminations in cases of fetal abnormalities and remove specific criminal penalties for individuals assisting women in accessing care.

Despite the legislative progress, the bills face a likely veto from Poland's nationalist president. The move follows a failed effort by Prime Minister Donald Tusk to legalize abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy, a goal Tusk previously promised upon taking office in 2023 but later abandoned due to a lack of a parliamentary majority.

Reproductive rights organizations criticized the measures as insufficient. The Center for Reproductive Rights described the bills as "small-scale" changes that would provide little relief for most women. Simultaneously, Fundacja Widzialne organized rallies across 27 cities to mark the sixth anniversary of a 2020 ruling that tightened restrictions, demanding full decriminalization of the procedure.