Members of the Sejm will once again consider decriminalizing abortion assistance. The project was already rejected once in July, including by the votes of PSL, which caused disputes within the government coalition. TVN24 reporter Agata Adamek asked politicians about the current mood towards the project.
In July, the Sejm rejected the bill to decriminalize abortion assistance. At that time, 215 MPs voted for the adoption of the act, 218 were against and 2 abstained. Now, as TVN24 reporter Agata Adamek reported, the front in the Sejm is “changing” towards abortion rights. The journalist described that politicians from the Civic Coalition and partly from the Left speak in a similar tone as – just a few months ago – members of the Polish People's Party. The journalist recalled that the People's Party “were attacked by politicians from the Left and the Civic Coalition” for wanting to use statutory half-measures. Adamek asked politicians about the proposed regulations that are being returned to the Sejm.
“If we're going to take a step forward, let's take it.”
Deputy Speaker of the Sejm from the Civic Coalition Monika Wielichowska she admitted: – We are talking about trying to combine two projects, i.e. part of the decriminalization with the abortion project submitted by Third Way. She said that in her opinion it would be a “step forward”. – Today, Polish women are in a more difficult situation, so if we are to take a step forward, let's take it. Although it will be neither satisfactory for the Civic Coalition, nor satisfactory for the Left and, I think, all Polish women, she admitted. She emphasized that women would finally like to “feel safe and have access to free, legal and accessible abortion.” – They don't have them today – concluded the deputy marshal.
The deputy head of the Left club, Tomasz Trela, also commented on the project. – It all depends on whether some members of parliament PSL will abstain or will not take part in the vote because we know that we will not convince them to support this bill, but they may not interfere, he said. – I hope that at the very end there will be a positive ending and those who are not convinced will not take part in the vote in the name of good cooperation, in the name of the future, in the name of implementing this important demand for women, this first step, and we will fully mobilized. The Left, the Civic Coalition and Poland 2050 – he added. Trela admitted that he “thinks” there is a chance that the Third Way's demands will be passed.
Trela: everything depends on whether some PSL parliamentarians abstain or do not take part in the voteTVN24
“I have a firm stance on this matter”
He also commented on the matter PiS MP Zbigniew Kuźmiuk. – I believe that this is shielding people who encourage abortion, and this is, according to the law in force in Poland, simply illegal – he said. – I have a firm position on this matter and I will not change it, please allow me to fulfill my free mandate – he said. He added that he was convinced that “these are activities that promote illegal acts and therefore we should not legalize them.”
Kuźmiuk on decriminalization of abortion assistance: it is shielding people who encourage abortionTVN24
Ewa Szedler, MP from Poland 2050, also commented on the topic. – I am a theologian and I believe that abortion is not good – she announced. However, she emphasized that she could not follow her own conscience in this matter. – We make law in this building for everyone, for believers and non-believers alike – she concluded.
Szedler: in this building we make law for everyone, for believers and non-believersTVN24
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