Representatives of Poland’s three opposition parties, which want to form a new government, are discussing a coalition agreement that would include wage increases and compensation for in vitro fertilisation.
The views of Donald Tusk’s Civic Coalition (KO, EPP/Greens), the Left (S&D) and the Third Way bloc (Renew/EPP) diverge on many issues, including a solution to the welfare state favoured by the Left, as well as on sensitive worldview issues such as abortion.
The Constitutional Court further restricted abortion rights in 2020. As a result, it was accused of being controlled by the ruling Law and Justice (PiS, ECR) party and sparked mass protests in Polish cities. However, as Gazeta Wyborcza reports, abortion will not be included in the coalition between the three blocs. MP Dariusz Wieczorek, who represents the Left in the negotiation team, as quoted by Gazeta Wyborcza, said:
We all agree about the need to cancel the Constitutional Tribunal’s decision as soon as possible.
As part of the election campaign, the Left and the KO promised to legalise abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy. However, the Third Way wants to return to the 1993 compromise that allowed abortion in three cases: if the pregnancy was the result of rape, if there was serious and permanent damage to the foetus and if the mother’s life was in danger.
An Abortion Rights Bill is likely to be introduced in 2024 following coalition discussions. This does not mean that the coalition agreement will not address women’s rights at all. It will include raising standards of care for pregnant women and public funding for the in vitro method.
A declaration on EU funds will also be included in the coalition agreement. Due to concerns about the rule of law in Poland, the EU Commission has frozen the funds allocated to the country under the Recovery and Resilience Facility programme. The funds will be released only after Warsaw fulfils certain conditions, mainly related to the independence of the judiciary. The opposition claims to have a plan to fulfil the standards set by EU law, but it has allegedly not yet been made public.
