Poland's parliament votes to ease abortion restrictions, but path to law uncertain

Amendments would narrow penalties for medical providers and restore access for severe fetal abnormalities, but President Nawrocki has signaled opposition and the changes would not legalize abortion on request

By LineZotpaper

Published21 October 2026

Read Time3 min

Poland's lower house of parliament, the Sejm, voted on 20 October to ease some of the country's restrictive abortion laws, passing two amendments that would reduce criminal penalties for medical professionals and restore abortion access in cases of severe fetal abnormalities. The votes mark the first legislative movement on the issue in years, but the measures face a likely presidential veto from President Karol Nawrocki, who is aligned with the opposition Law and Justice party, and even if enacted would leave Poland among the most restrictive countries in the European Union on abortion.

The first amendment, passed by 217 votes to 213 with three abstentions, would exempt doctors, nurses and midwives from criminal liability when a termination results from a medically necessary procedure to protect a pregnant woman's health or life. The second, passed 233-203, would overturn the effect of a 2020 Constitutional Tribunal ruling that removed fetal abnormality as a legal ground for abortion.

Under current Polish law, anyone who terminates a pregnancy with a woman's consent faces up to three years in prison, with the same penalty applying to those who assist or encourage an abortion. Abortion is currently permitted only when the pregnancy threatens the woman's life or health or results from a criminal act such as rape or incest.

Katarzyna Kotula, the government's equality commissioner and a lawmaker from the Left, said on X: "It's time to end the punishment of all those who love, worry, and respect our choices."

The bills now go to the Senate. Even if passed there, President Nawrocki must sign them into law. The president has previously said he would not support legislation easing abortion restrictions. Overriding a veto would require a three-fifths majority in the Sejm, a threshold Prime Minister Donald Tusk's coalition does not hold.

Leah Hoctor, Senior Regional Director for Europe at the Center for Reproductive Rights, described the vote as an "incremental step forward" but noted that the changes are narrow. "For most women who need abortion care, that care will remain illegal," she said, adding that women would still be forced to travel abroad. Poland remains one of only two EU countries, alongside Malta, where abortion on request in early pregnancy is not legal.

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled against Poland in several cases on abortion access, and in 2024 the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women found that the country's abortion laws had resulted in grave and systematic violations of women's rights, calling for comprehensive reform.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The vote is the first parliamentary move on abortion in Poland since restrictions were tightened in 2020, but the outcome is far from guaranteed.
Even if the amendments become law, Poland will remain an outlier in Europe, with no legal right to abortion on request in early pregnancy, leaving many women reliant on travel abroad.
The legislative battle underscores the political divides in Poland's government, where Prime Minister Tusk's coalition promised broader reforms but lacks the numbers to overcome a presidential veto.

Background

Poland's abortion laws have been among the most restrictive in Europe for decades. In 2020, the Constitutional Tribunal, dominated by judges appointed under the former Law and Justice government, ruled that abortion on grounds of severe fetal abnormalities was unconstitutional, effectively banning almost all terminations. That decision sparked mass protests. The current government, led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk's Civic Coalition, came to power in 2023 promising to restore reproductive rights, including legalizing abortion on request up to 12 weeks. However, President Karol Nawrocki, elected in 2025, is aligned with the opposition and has opposed liberalization. The latest votes represent the first legislative attempt to address the issue since an earlier effort failed in July 2024.

Key Perspectives

Government and reproductive rights advocates: Supporters argue the amendments are a necessary first step to end punishment for medical professionals and restore a basic ground for abortion. They see the vote as progress after years of inaction, even if it falls short of broader reform. President Nawrocki and the opposition: The president has indicated he will not sign legislation easing restrictions, and his veto can only be overridden by a three-fifths majority that the coalition does not command. The opposition Law and Justice party oversaw the tightening of laws and opposes further liberalization. Critics of the narrow scope: Rights groups and international bodies note that even if enacted, the changes leave Poland far from European norms. Women will still need to travel abroad for most abortions, and the law will remain a source of human rights concerns.

What to Watch

Whether the Senate passes the bills unchanged, and how quickly President Nawrocki acts on them.
Any attempt by the coalition to build support for a veto override, or a potential compromise that avoids a full veto.
The possibility of renewed public protests or legal challenges from both sides as the legislative process unfolds.

Sources

Poland’s abortion reforms would leave it among the EU’s most restrictive, even if signed into law · Euronews

Checked

10 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 7 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedKotula said on X, “It's time to end the punishment of all those who love, worry, and respect our choices.”Euronews: ““It's time to end the punishment of all those who love, worry, and respect our choices,” Katarzyna Kotula, the government’s equality commissioner and a lawmaker from the Left, said on X.”
SupportedHoctor said, “For most women who need abortion care, that care will remain illegal.”Euronews: ““The legal changes that these bills represent are so narrow in scope that for most women who need abortion care, that care will remain illegal,” Hoctor said”
SupportedPoland’s parliament voted to ease abortion restrictions, but the path to law is uncertain.Euronews: “Poland’s parliament, Sejm, has voted to ease some of the country’s abortion restrictions, but the changes would leave its laws among the most restrictive in the European Union — and face an uphill battle to become law.”
Partly supportedThe amendments would restore abortion access in cases of severe fetal abnormalities.Euronews: “Another bill, passed with 233 votes in favour, 203 against and one abstention, would again permit abortion in cases of severe and irreversible foetal abnormalities or an incurable condition threatening the foetus’s life.”
SupportedThe Sejm passed the first amendment by 217 votes to 213, with three abstentions.Euronews: “The proposed bill, backed by 217 parliamentarians, with 213 voting against and three abstaining”
SupportedThe Sejm voted on 20 October.Euronews: “On Tuesday, 20 October, the Sejm, the lower house of Poland’s parliament, passed amendments to the Criminal Code”
SupportedThe changes would not legalize abortion on request.Euronews: “The changes would not introduce abortion on request up to 12 weeks of pregnancy”
Partly supportedUnder current law, anyone who terminates a pregnancy with a woman’s consent faces up to three years in prison.Euronews: “Under current law, anyone who terminates a pregnancy with a woman’s consent can face up to three years in prison.”
Not in the sourcesWomen would still be forced to travel abroad to access abortion care.Euronews: “Hoctor said, adding that women would still be forced to travel to access care.”
SupportedPresident Nawrocki has previously said he would not support legislation easing abortion restrictions.Euronews: “President Karol Nawrocki, who took office in 2025, has previously said that he would not support legislation easing abortion restrictions.”