Women in Poland are now more than ever at the heart of public attention. The closer we get to the election date, the more political declarations affecting women’s lives we hear. With numerous research studies proving that women’s participation in the upcoming parliamentary elections in Poland will be politically decisive, the number of offers from party leaders is rising on a daily basis.
In Hungary, women received full suffrage in 1945, after which their number in the parliament increased continuously until 1980. In the most favorable periods female representation was one third of the parliament, which can already be considered a “critical mass of women”.
On paper, Hungarian abortion policies are much like those of most EU countries: women can terminate their pregnancy on request up until the 12th week and can do so through state-funded institutions. Yet, in reality, the accessibility of abortion in Hungary is only a façade.
Even God does not evoke such emotions when we doubt his existence. Some believe in Him, others don’t, and that’s it. In this case, faith or lack thereof does not end the argument. Every statement about abortion results in the fierce debate about whether to defend life or not, and if so, when it begins. And at this point, no one stops at their worldview but has to convince the opponent to it. The majority agrees that life is the highest value.
Lockdowns and other restrictive measures to keep people in their homes and prevent socializing with others were introduced. But what if home is not a safe place? What if being locked down with a member of your family or a partner is the very definition of being unsafe and at risk of physical injury or psychological abuse?
When no one was waiting, Tusk decided to return. What challenges will Tusk encounter? Poland has changed a lot during his absence. Much more than one might think judging by press reports or occasional meetings with supporters. Tusk’s former comrades refuse to acknowledge this. If Tusk becomes a hostage of their phobias and expectations, he will be doomed to failure.
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the German-Polish Neighbourhood Treaty, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom will hold a debate with Marta Lempart, co-initiator of the protest movement “All-Poland Women’s Strike”, and Gyde Jensen MP, Chairwoman of the Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid in the German Bundestag.
On October 22, Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal ruled that abortions for fetal abnormalities violate the Constitution, effectively imposing a near-total ban on abortion. Tribunal’s president Julia Przyłębska said that allowing abortions in cases of fetal abnormality legalized “eugenic practices“.
The Constitutional Tribunal in Poland has granted a request by more than 100 right-wing conservative MPs and declared abortions, even on account of severe foetal defects, to be unconstitutional. The ruling paves the way for a further tightening of the Polish abortion law, which is already one of the strictest in the European Union.
Demonstrations were held not only in Kraków, Katowice, Wrocław, Szczecin, and Gdańsk, but also in smaller cities. On Friday evening, crowds marched again to the house of Kaczyński, then to the house of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. According to estimates, no less than 15,000 people took part in this “walk”.
