Thousands of people took to the streets across Poland on Thursday, demanding free and legal access to abortion and accusing Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government of failing to deliver on its promise to ease the country’s stringent abortion laws.
Demonstrations were organised in more than 20 cities and towns, including the capital Warsaw, where protesters gathered outside parliament despite rainy weather. Carrying red cards and placards with slogans such as “Women’s hell continues”, demonstrators called for meaningful reforms to reproductive healthcare laws.
The protests took place days after Poland’s lower house of parliament approved two bills aimed at relaxing abortion restrictions. However, the proposed changes are expected to face opposition from conservative President Karol Nawrocki, who has indicated that he would block measures intended to liberalise the law.
Zofia Marcinek, a representative of the Warsaw-based reproductive rights organisation Abortion Dream Team, criticised the government’s approach, arguing that the proposed legislation amounted to symbolic action rather than a genuine attempt to improve access to abortion. She alleged that the government was aware that the bills were unlikely to survive a presidential veto and was seeking to demonstrate progress ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections.
Poland, a predominantly Catholic country, has maintained strict restrictions on abortion since 1993. Terminations are permitted only in limited circumstances, including when a pregnancy results from rape or incest, or when continuing it poses a threat to the woman’s life or health.
The restrictions became more stringent following a 2020 Constitutional Tribunal ruling that removed foetal abnormalities as a legal ground for abortion. The decision triggered widespread protests and intensified a long-running campaign by women’s rights groups seeking changes to the law.
The current demonstrations also coincide with the sixth anniversary of the ruling that led to a near-total abortion ban. Women have repeatedly protested against the restrictions, including through the nationwide Black Protest movement launched in 2016.
Tusk’s pro-European coalition came to power in 2023 after promising to liberalise abortion laws. However, disagreements within the governing alliance and opposition from conservative political forces have stalled broader reforms, including a proposal to allow abortion on request during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
The two bills recently approved by parliament propose removing criminal penalties for people who assist women in obtaining abortions and restoring the possibility of terminating pregnancies in cases of severe foetal abnormalities. Under the existing law, individuals who help women access abortions can face prosecution, although women themselves are not criminally liable for undergoing the procedure.
Activists say the legal restrictions continue to force many women to seek abortions outside hospitals, often using pills obtained from abroad. While official figures indicate that Polish hospitals performed 573 abortions during the first half of 2026, campaigners estimate that tens of thousands of procedures take place outside medical facilities every year.
Marcinek also alleged that government statements suggesting access to abortion had improved were misleading women about the practical difficulties of obtaining care. According to her, some women approach support organisations only after discovering that hospitals cannot provide the assistance they expected, making the process more complicated and expensive.
To help women navigate the restrictions, Abortion Dream Team opened a support centre opposite parliament in Warsaw in 2025. The organisation provides information and assistance to women considering medication-based abortions. A parcel locker system, introduced in September by the international non-profit organisation Women Help Women, also allows women to collect abortion pills more quickly and discreetly.
Campaigners continue to demand comprehensive legal reforms, publicly accessible abortion services and an end to the criminalisation of people who help women obtain reproductive healthcare. They say the latest protests reflect growing frustration over the gap between the government’s election promises and the changes women have experienced in practice.
