‘Nobody has the right to be the conscience of Polish women’: EP
22:25
Today, during the plenary session of the European Parliament, there was an emotional debate in which many MEPs condemned the recent decision to introduce an almost complete ban on abortion in Poland.
In October 2020, the Polish Constitutional Court ruled that the provision on the admissibility of abortion in the case of a high probability of severe and irreversible impairment of the fetus is inconsistent with the constitution. In practice, this means an almost complete ban on abortion in Poland. In January this year, the judgment was published and entered into force.
EU Equality Commissioner Helena Dalli started the debate with the statement that last October's ruling by the Polish Constitutional Court "resulted in an almost complete ban on abortion" in the country.
"98 percent of abortions performed in Poland after this new ruling will become illegal,” she added.
At the same time, she recalled that the European Union has no competence in the matter of abortion law. However, as she stressed, Member States must respect the fundamental rights that bind them under their national constitutions and obligations under international law. She added that the constitutionality of Polish law can no longer be effectively guaranteed.
“We were under the delusion that the judgment of the Constitutional Tribunal would not be published; that no one will force women to be heroic and take away their very limited choice. That is why we want to emphasize clearly: it was the PiS government that decided today's debate,” Elżbieta Łukacijewska (PO) on behalf of the European People's Party, said.
The deputy drew attention to the problem of abolishing in-vitro programs, as well as deteriorating the standards of perinatal and perinatal care.
