Tusk Proposes Lifting Europe’s Tightest Abortion Restrictions


(Bloomberg) — Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk proposed legislation to loosen abortion restrictions as his government presses ahead with dismantling the eight-year legacy of a nationalist administration that cracked down on women’s reproductive rights.

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The draft bill submitted Thursday would grant women access to the procedure on demand up to the 12th week of pregnancy and undo existing rules put in place by the previous government under the Law & Justice party, one of the most restrictive laws in Europe.

The move is a centerpiece of Tusk’s party, which gained the support of many who decried previous government’s position on abortion and women’s rights. Rules effectively banning the procedure under the nationalist’s tenure prompted thousands to protest and were credited with alienating a swathe of women voters, contributing to the loss of the party’s majority in an election in October. Tusk took office last month.

Women’s rights have become a lightning-rod issue in Poland, with activist groups demanding the new government move quickly. On Wednesday, Tusk’s coalition agreed to move forward with rules easing access to emergency-contraception pills, making it available without a prescription for those over 15 years of age.

Read More: Women Want Action on Abortion After Ousting Polish Nationalists

But the path to lift abortion restrictions isn’t an easy one. The issue, one of the most polarizing in a country long dominated by the Catholic Church, was contentious enough even within Tusk’s governing alliance that it was left out of the coalition accord.

Ultimately legislation will have to clear the desk of President Andrzej Duda, a one-time Law & Justice ally who opposes abortion.

“There is no majority today, but there is definitely a majority eager to change the status quo,” Tusk told reporters in Warsaw. “Will we find another solution? For sure, yes.”

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