Poland’s lower house of parliament, the Sejm, backed partial decriminalization of abortion on October 20, the news outlet Onet reported.
Lawmakers repealed provisions that carried prison sentences of up to three years for doctors and midwives who performed abortions with the woman’s consent. Abortion will also no longer be a crime when necessary to save the woman’s life.
The Sejm also passed a law allowing abortion in cases of severe fetal abnormalities.
Poland has some of Europe’s strictest abortion laws. The main provisions were adopted while the conservative Law and Justice party was in power.
Donald Tusk’s liberal Civic Coalition, which came to power in late 2023, planned to ease abortion restrictions substantially. But efforts to repeal the strict measures have stalled because of resistance from the conservative opposition.
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