Most Poles favor legal abortion and a majority of the new ruling coalition’s voters support abortion on demand, according to recent polling.
A total of 57 percent of respondents to an IPSOS survey voiced their support for legal abortion. The survey, which included a representative sample of 1,507 individuals from Dec. 1-8, 2023, indicated a growing acceptance of abortion rights in Poland.
Within the group supporting unconditional abortion, 38 percent were in favor of allowing abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy, while 19 percent supported its availability up to the 24th week.
On the other hand, 35 percent believed abortion should be accessible but only under specific legal circumstances.
The survey further reveals a political divide in abortion attitudes. The majority of Civic Coalition (KO) voters (60 percent), The Left (50 percent), and Third Way (44 percent) support unconditional abortion rights up to the 12th week of pregnancy. Conversely, voters of the Law and Justice Party (PiS) (60 percent) and Confederation (47 percent) believe the conditions for permitting abortion should be legally defined.
Only 9 percent of the survey’s respondents advocated for a total ban on abortion.
The Rzeczpospolita newspaper reported that this study was part of a broader report on Polish attitudes towards abortion set for release in January 2024. The report will include conclusions from both quantitative and qualitative research.
In the Polish parliament, there are already bills submitted by The Left regarding the decriminalization and legalization of abortion. With Speaker Szymon Hołownia’s commitment to ending the parliamentary “freezer,” a debate on abortion is expected in the coming months.
The newspaper also recalled the promise of a referendum on abortion by the Third Way leaders during the election campaign, which was reiterated by Hołownia in a recent interview.
Abortion in Poland is currently permitted in two cases: when the pregnancy poses a threat to the woman’s life or health, or if it results from a criminal act (rape, incest).
In 2020, the Constitutional Tribunal ruled that so-called eugenic abortion is incompatible with the Constitution, triggering a wave of protests led by the Women’s Strike movement.
