On Tuesday, October 20, 2026, Poland’s lower house of parliament, the Sejm, approved two bills that would relax some of the country’s strict abortion laws. The measures address criminal liability for assisting with an abortion and would restore the right to terminate a pregnancy in cases of severe fetal defects. However, President Karol Nawrocki has already indicated he will veto the new legislation.
The vote marks the latest effort by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s pro-European government to amend abortion restrictions, which are among the harshest in Europe. The bills themselves do not automatically change Polish law—they must complete the full legislative process to take effect.
Lawmakers voted on two key changes
The first proposal concerns criminal penalties for those who help women obtain an abortion in violation of current law. At present, assisting with an unlawful abortion can result in up to three years in prison. The approved amendment would abolish criminal liability in specific cases.
The second bill would restore the exception allowing abortion in cases of severe and irreversible fetal impairment or untreatable conditions that threaten the fetus’s life. This exception was eliminated in Poland after a 2020 Constitutional Court decision, which took effect in 2021.
Both proposals narrowly passed in the Sejm. On the decriminalization of abortion assistance, 217 lawmakers voted in favor, 213 voted against, and three abstained.
President Nawrocki expected to veto the bills
President Karol Nawrocki has previously made clear that he does not support easing abortion restrictions, and is therefore expected to veto the measures.
If the president formally vetoes the reforms, parliament would need a qualified majority to override him. The current ruling coalition may not have enough support to achieve this.
The issue of abortion has also created divisions within the ruling coalition itself. Although parties aligned with Prime Minister Tusk campaigned on promises to liberalize abortion laws ahead of the 2023 election, past efforts at broader reform have failed to gain enough backing.
What are the current abortion laws in Poland?
Poland is among the European countries with the most restrictive abortion legislation. Presently, abortion is mainly legal if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, or if the woman’s life or health is at risk.
The removal of the exception for severe fetal defects in 2021 sparked large-scale protests in Poland. Critics of the strict laws emphasize the hardship for women facing a serious fetal diagnosis and the challenges in accessing essential medical care.
Supporters of the ultra-restrictive laws argue that they protect unborn life. The abortion debate thus remains one of the most sensitive political and social issues in Poland.
Other proposed abortion reforms remain in parliament
In addition to the recently approved measures, lawmakers are also reviewing separate bills that would allow abortion on request up to the twelfth week of pregnancy. These proposals are distinct and their adoption is uncertain.
The government led by Donald Tusk has also taken steps to improve access to abortion care within the framework of current law, especially in cases where pregnancy endangers a woman’s mental health.
The final outcome of the current legislation will depend on the president’s actions and whether parliament can muster enough votes to overturn a potential veto. For now, no definitive change to the abortion rules has been made.
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This article was translated from the original Slovak version with the assistance of AI.
