17-05-2025
Poland's pivotal election could deliver abortion pledge at last
When Martyna Stopyra voted for Donald Tusk's winning coalition in Poland's 2023 parliamentary election, she hoped he would steer their country back towards the European mainstream after eight years of rule by the conservative Law and Justice Party.
Like many other liberal-minded Poles she was particularly impressed by the former European Council president's promise that within 100 days of coming to power he would liberalise Poland's laws on abortion, which are among the most restrictive on the continent.
'I want to have children one day, but should there be any difficulties with the pregnancy, I would be terrified of not being able to access abortion services in Poland,' said Stopyra, 30, an American-educated art historian.
Yet more than 500 days later, abortion remains as inaccessible
