Abortion debate in Polish media: Will (and should) Poland introduce a complete ban on abortion?
Poland already has one of the strictest abortion laws in Europe, with a pregnancy only allowed to be terminated in only three cases: when it results from a criminal act (i.e. rape or incest); when the mother’s health or life is endangered; or when the fetus is seriously malformed.
Yet a citizens’ initiative now proposes to remove even these exceptions, introducing an outright ban on abortion. Supporters of the proposal are currently collecting signatures on a petition, 100,000 of which would force parliament to consider the bill. They have also received vocal support from Poland’s Catholic bishops, who recently issued a letter in favour of the proposed law, which was read out in churches across the country. Leading figures in the ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) – including its chairman and the prime minister – have also indicated that they are receptive to the proposal. This has, however, also prompted a backlash, with tens of thousands joining street protects against the proposed measures.
Unsurprisingly, the issue has also provoked much discussion in the media, and below we publish seven articles representing a range of opinions on the draft law. In each case, click the title of the article to be taken to a translation of the full text.
How would the path to the enactment of the anti-abortion law look? (click to read full English translation of article) – Anna Dąbrowska, Polityka (liberal weekly)
The author outlines the political process through which the citizens’ initiative must go in order to become law. She believes that, although PiS must publicly appear supportive of the proposal to restrict abortion, in reality the issue is rather inconvenient for them, and they will do all they can to slow its progress. She believes that the eventual outcome will likely be a ban on so-called ‘eugenic’ abortion (in cases of fetal malformation), but with exceptions remaining for threats to the mother’s health and cases of rape.
Should we fear a dispute over abortion? (click to read full English translation of article) – Krzysztof Karnkowski, Niezalezna (conservative news portal, associated with the Gazeta Polska newspaper)
The author runs through the history of the abortion debate in post-1989 Poland, and why the issue has recently returned to prominence. A supporter of tighter abortion laws, he argues that now – with the political left in disarray and growing social conservatism among young Poles – is the perfect time to enact such change.
Prof. Magdalena Środa comments: “A totalitarian ban on abortion” (click to read full English translation of article) – Super Express (tabloid daily)
An interview with Polish philosopher and feminist Magdalena Środa on the proposed abortion ban. She speaks out strongly against it, asking whether Poland wants to place itself among the ranks of civilised European countries that permit at least early-stage abortion, or if instead it will act like totalitarian or Islamist states, which historically favour complete bans on abortion.
Setting the abortion law straight (click to read full English translation of article) – Wojciech Teister, Gość Niedzielny (Catholic weekly)
The author debunks four common misconceptions used to argue against abortion law, and calls for the debate to be founded on ‘reliable information’ rather than ‘manipulation’ of the facts.
Checkmate Catholic right-wingers. It is your families in which abortions take place. Feminists are fighting for conservative women’s rights as well (click to read full English translation of article) – Krzysztof Majak, naTemat (liberal news portal)
The author points to survey findings showing that it is conservative women who most often have abortions, arguing that, contrary to stereotypes, it is not liberal, single young women who require greater access to abortion, but older, married ones living in poorer and more isolated communities.
Abortion, the Church, PiS (click to read full English translation of article) – Artur Sporniak, Tygodnik Powszechny (liberal Catholic weekly)
The author is personally in favour of tightening abortion laws, but argues that it is not form men – and especially not bishops – to speak on this issue. The decision should be left to women.
King Herod’s Hospital (click to read full English translation of article) – Stanisław Michałkiewicz, Polska Niepodległa (ultra-conservative news portal)
Rather than an entirely new abortion law, the author calls for a change to the criminal code, whereby killing an unborn child would be treated as murder. Judges would, however, be given leeway to waive any penalty for a woman who carries out an abortion ‘under huge pressure’.
