Polish Sejm Votes to Weaken Protections for the Unborn
Catholic leaders oppose the move as both bills head to the Senate and an expected veto from President Nawrocki.
On October 20, Poland’s lower house of parliament, the Sejm, approved two bills that would loosen the country’s strict abortion laws, drawing firm opposition from Catholic leaders and pro-life groups.
The first measure passed by a narrow margin of 217 to 213. It would decriminalize providing help or encouragement for abortions carried out with the woman’s consent, removing penalties of up to three years in prison for those who assist.
The second bill cleared the chamber 233 to 203. It would permit abortion in cases of severe and irreversible fetal abnormalities or incurable illnesses, reversing a central element of the Constitutional Tribunal’s 2020 ruling that established a near-total ban.
Still Facing the Senate and a Likely Veto
Neither bill becomes law without further steps. Both must pass the Senate and obtain the signature of President Karol Nawrocki. The conservative head of state is expected to veto the measures.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s governing coalition advanced the votes nearly three years after taking power. The push comes as campaigning builds ahead of parliamentary elections in 2027. Poland retains some of Europe’s strictest abortion laws; exceptions remain limited to cases in which the mother’s life or health is endangered.
Church and Pro-Life Resistance
Catholic leaders and pro-life organizations have opposed the legislative changes, regarding them as steps toward broader liberalization. Before the 2020 tribunal decision, severe fetal defect was among the main grounds for legal abortion in Poland. Restoring that exception would undo a core protection for unborn children diagnosed with serious conditions.
The Church teaches that every human life possesses inviolable dignity from the moment of conception. Civil law, in the Catholic view, is called to safeguard the unborn, not to expand the circumstances in which their lives may be ended. The Sejm votes place that principle under renewed political pressure in a nation where the faith has long informed the defense of life in public law.
With narrow majorities in the lower house, a presidential veto anticipated, and the Senate still to vote, the fate of the bills remains uncertain. The contest will test how far the current majority can go in rolling back legal protections for the unborn.