There will be no majority in this parliament for legal abortion, in the full sense of the word, until the next elections. Let's not kid ourselves – said Prime Minister, PO leader Donald Tusk during the event opening the fourth edition of Campus Polska Przyszłości. He announced that “we will bend over backwards to relieve the fate of all those who feel, and rightly so, discriminated against in Poland, but for now these will be half-hearted methods”. – I'm sorry, this is all I can do at the moment – he added.
The head of the Polish government appeared in Olsztyn together with the mayor of Warsaw Rafał Trzaskowski. Donald Tusk was asked by one of the participants of Campus Polska Przyszłości about the issue of abortion. She noted that some MPs from the ruling coalition did not vote on the adoption of the law assuming the decriminalization of assistance in abortion.
Tusk: There is no majority in the Sejm
The Prime Minister replied that “we do not have a majority in parliament on this matter”. – At the moment, especially the MPs from the Civic Coalition are saying: let's try to put this to a vote again. The problem is that I always try to be very practical, I mean practical in the sense that when we agree on something, I would like it to be carried through to the end – he added.
As he said, “the reality is that (Roman) Giertych did not vote, (Waldemar) Sługocki was in the States on a trip, we were two votes short, but in reality we were very many votes short”. – Twelve were absent for various reasons PiS MPs during this vote. Polish People's Party it was divided here in proportions very unfavorable to women's rights, he added.
– I want to tell you something that is unpleasant for me, but it is a fact that we cannot avoid. There is no majority in the Polish Sejm in favor of the right to legal abortion that we have talked about here and agreed on here with you, among others. There is simply no majority – Tusk declared.
He said that “while it was possible to convince Poland 2050 to vote together in long talks, the Polish People's Party, not to mention PiS or Confederation, proved unconvincing”. – And I will not a priori shift the responsibility for this to the president (Andrzej) Dudawho would have blocked it anyway, vetoed it, spoke about it directly. But even if President Duda did not block it, there is simply no majority of MPs in favor of it – said the Prime Minister.
Tusk: We will do everything to make women suffer less
– What can I do? We are doing this right now with the Minister of Health, the Attorney General, the Minister (Adam) Bodnarso that within the framework of the existing law, because we cannot change this law because we do not have a majority, women, or rather people who help women during the termination of pregnancy, are not de facto penalized – said Tusk.
He noted that it is not easy. – Of course, there are certain recommendations and guidelines for the prosecutor's office, for doctors, but as you can imagine, not everyone in the medical and prosecutor's community agrees with you. You know what I mean. And the regulations are what they are. I mean, there is still this horrible regulation that poses a threat of up to 8 years in prison for an illegally performed abortion, so the situation is objectively difficult – he added.
– I can only promise that within the framework of existing law we will do everything to make women suffer less, to make abortion as safe as possible and accessible when a woman has to make such a decision. So that people who get involved in helping a woman are not prosecuted – he declared.
He stressed that “unfortunately we have to wait for a change in the law.”
Tusk: sorry, that's all I can afford at the moment
– Perhaps we will try to convince PSL to some milder version. As you know, they are firm in their words: we can agree to changes only on one condition, that there will be a referendum on this matter. But as you know, when it comes to the referendum, most groups, especially women's groups, who were involved in the fight for the right to legal abortion, say “we don't want any referendum, these are our rights” (…) So I will not propose a referendum against all those who are today victims of this regulation. If they don't want it, they don't want it, then we will not hold this referendum by force – said the Prime Minister.
But, as he added, “this means one thing, that until the next elections there will be no majority in this parliament for legal abortion, in the full sense of the word.” – Let's not fool ourselves – he said.
– However, there will be a completely different practice in the prosecutor's office and in Polish hospitals. This is already underway and it will be very noticeable – he said. – We will do our best to alleviate the fate of all those who feel and rightly are discriminated against in Poland, but for now these will be half-hearted methods – he emphasized. – I'm sorry, this is all I can do at the moment – he concluded.
The bill to decriminalize assistance in abortion has failed
In mid-July, the Sejm did not pass an amendment to the Penal Code, authored by the Left, concerning partial decriminalization of abortion. The bill was rejected by votes of PiS, Confederation, and the majority of PSL. Three KO MPs did not vote: Roman GiertychWaldemar Sługocki and Krzysztof Grabczuk. The latter, as Tusk reported, was in hospital.
At the end of July the bill on this matter was submitted to the Sejm again. The draft amendment to the Penal Code, submitted on Friday, was signed by the entire Left caucus, some KO caucus members, four members of the Poland 2050-Trzecia Droga caucus: Ewa Szymanowska, Elżbieta Burkiewicz, Adam Luboński and Aleksandra Leo, as well as MP Agnieszka Kłopotek as the only member of the PSL-Trzecia Droga caucus.
Main image source: PAP