Organizing a referendum within a hundred days after elections was criticized as impractical by Borys Budka, the leader of the KO parliamentary club, who referenced proposals from Szymon Hołownia and Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz about placing a nationwide referendum on abortion on the table. Budka asserted that the Republican opposition would instead seek to build a solid majority in Parliament to resolve the issue through legislative means.
Kosiniak-Kamysz and Hołownia advocate a referendum on abortion
Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, head of the PSL, and Szymon Hołownia, leader of Poland 2050, unveiled their priorities for the coming legislature. Their agenda includes assessing how both groups might participate in shaping the next government. A priority in the first 100 days would be restoring the legal framework around abortion to its pre-2020 Constitutional Tribunal state and holding a referendum to address the policy in question.
Budka: There isn’t time for referendums on obvious matters
In an interview on Radio ZET, Budka was asked whether the PO would back the idea of a referendum. He replied that he would not support such a move. He stated plainly that a referendum within 100 days of the election would not make sense and that a parliamentary majority should be forged to resolve the issue through lawmaking channels.
“Holding a referendum within 100 days of the election makes no sense to me,” he said. “We will build a majority in Parliament to address the matter.”
Budka added that there is no time today for referendums on obvious matters, specifically topics touching women’s freedom of choice. He expressed the belief that Parliament is capable of handling the issue and that the coalition is prepared to act accordingly.
He emphasized that the PO supports freedom of choice for women, arguing that decisions in these matters are better left to women themselves rather than politicians.
Amendment discussions surrounding abortion law
The 2020 Constitutional Tribunal ruling narrowed the grounds for abortion in Poland, removing the possibility of terminating pregnancies in cases of serious and irreversible fetal defects or life-threatening fetal illness. Currently, abortion is permissible only when the pregnancy threatens the woman’s life or health or when it results from a prohibited act such as rape or incest.
Poland’s abortion regime has undergone changes since 1993, influenced by court decisions in 2020 and the aftermath of their January 2021 publication. The ruling reduced the scope of permissible terminations and sparked widespread protests across the country. Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that the ultimate decision should lie with millions of Polish women rather than a handful of deputies, emphasizing the value of citizen input on fundamental issues.
In discussions surrounding reform, Hołownia and Kosiniak-Kamysz underscored the importance of considering broad public will in shaping national policy. Their stance reflects a desire to reassess the balance between protecting life and ensuring women’s autonomy in future legislative work, a topic that remains politically sensitive and deeply debated across the nation.
Other items on the political radar include calls for a shift in policy philosophy regarding financial support and developmental lending, as well as ongoing scrutiny of state funding and its distribution. The discourse around abortion continues to appear prominently in parliamentary discussions, with various groups weighing the political and social implications of potential changes to the law.
Note: The discussion reflects ongoing political processes and is subject to parliamentary debate and democratic processes. This summary provides a neutral overview of the positions articulated by the leaders mentioned and the context surrounding the abortion policy debate.