Polish lawmakers will start a debate on liberalising access to abortion, a central election campaign promise of Prime Minister Donald Tusk that has opened a rift within his pro-European coalition in recent weeks.
It is unclear how long the debates will last as it is widely expected that President Andrzej Duda, a conservative ally of the former ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, will veto any changes to legislation.
Minister for equality Katarzyna Kotula, said the lawmakers are very keen to finally start the debate, as it is considered important, but noted that nothing will change quickly.
Women’s rights are high on the agenda in Poland, which introduced a near-total ban on abortion in 2021 and where the previous, nationalist government embedded its conservative social values in law during its eight-year rule.
