Press conference
On 5 November, FEDERA held a press conference during which it addressed the recent important events in Poland – the words of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the guidelines issued by Polish medical societies relating to abortion on the grounds of mental health risk and the current challenges regarding abortion care in hospitals. Speakers at the Conference included FEDERA President Krystyna Kacpura, Vice-President Kamila Ferenc and National Advocacy Coordinator Antonina Lewandowska.
Vote on the law decriminalising abortion
A bill introducing partial decriminalisation of abortion has just been referred to the parliamentary committee. As a reminder – after the first draft decriminalising abortion was rejected by just three votes, the draft was resubmitted in July as a joint project of two parliamentary clubs.
The legislative proposal envisages:
- decriminalising assistance in terminating someone’s pregnancy up to 12 weeks,
- decriminalisation of termination of pregnancy with the woman’s consent up to the 12th week of pregnancy, and in certain situations also after the 12th week (when the pregnancy poses a threat to the health or life of the pregnant person and in the case of diagnosis of fetal malformations).
Increase in the induction of miscarriages
The National Health Fund reports an increasing number of induced miscarriages. Although not all of them involve abortion, in practice this means an increase in abortions in Polish hospitals, on the NHF. We see this as our bitter success, as it is the FEDERA legal team’s line of jurisprudence is currently being used to terminate pregnancies on the premise that a woman’s health or life is at risk.
Prime Minister Varadkar’s visit
Former Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar visited Poland from 18.11.2024 to 19.11.2024. Mr Varadkar was in office during the period of the Irish referendum on constitutional change, which opened the way for the legalisation of abortion on request in Ireland. During a meeting at the Sejm, organised by FEDERA in collaboration with partners from the Centre for Reproductive Rights, he told Polish parliamentarians about the details of the reform and the current challenges facing Ireland. He also visited FEDERA’s Health Centre.
