PES President Sergei Stanishev said:
“The Polish leadership is obsessed with obstructing women’s rights by all means and they will bend the rules to impose their fanatical agenda. The ban on the abortion of foetuses with severe deformities is simply cruel. It adds to an already very restrictive abortion law and it will push more women to undergo illegal and potentially life-threatening abortions.”
The PES has always supported the fight for women’s right in Poland. Disastrously, today these rights were limited even further. Abortion in the country is now allowed only in two cases – if the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest, or if the mother’s life is at risk. The third previously legal option – foetal abnormality – is now unlawful and women will be prosecuted if they decide to make this difficult choice.
“Today’s restriction comes through a non-conventional legal channel, with the help of a court totally influenced by PiS and Kaczynski. Constitutions must never be interpreted politicly or ideologically because this yet another way of undermining the Rule of Law”, Stanishev added.
The PES supports our member party Lewica and all democratic forces in Poland in their fight for women’s rights and in their commitment to change this restrictive law.
