There will not be a majority in parliament for legal abortions, in the full sense of the word, until the next election. Let us not deceive ourselves, said the country's Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Friday.
Donald Tusk became Prime Minister after last year's election, and during the election campaign, he had promised free abortion up to the twelfth week of pregnancy. The previous government with the national-conservative right-wing party Law and Justice introduced almost complete abortion ban in Poland.
Tusk says that the government is now instead planning to introduce "new procedures" at the prosecutor's office and hospitals to ease the restrictions. He promises that the measures "will be noticeable".
I can only promise that we will do everything to reduce women's suffering, within the framework of the existing legislation.
Poland has one of the EU's toughest legislation against abortion. Only if it can be proven that the pregnancy was caused by incest or rape, or if there is a risk to the woman's health and life, are abortions allowed.
