The left is gearing up for the European Parliament elections this June, with lists nearly finalized and key personnel identified, including who will lead as chief of staff. A Polish MEP and co-chair of the New Left, Robert Biedroń, announced in the PAP Studio that he would open the Warsaw slate and expressed a wish that Derde Droga would receive at least a yellow card in these elections.
Asked about the New Left’s preparations for the European Parliament campaign, Biedroń said the work was complete. He indicated the leadership, the staff, and the lists were nearly ready and emphasized that the local government campaign would transition into the European Parliament effort once the former ends, leaving the left fully prepared for the new challenge.
Regarding the campaign slogan, Biedroń noted that the announcement would come after the local elections. The European Parliament elections are scheduled for Sunday, June 9. In 2019, Biedroń won a seat in the European Parliament running with the Wiosna party, of which he was president until 2021.
Scores in the coalition
The left has questioned the chairman of the Sejm, Szymon Hołownia, on the handling of abortion-related laws for months. Biedroń indicated that Derde Droga should receive a yellow card in the local government elections and clarified that a yellow card would signal a commitment to women rather than to the party alone.
He stressed that the focus should be on protecting women, not merely on tactical maneuvers to save a party or individual ambitions. The emphasis should be on supporting candidates who stand with women in these elections.
Local authorities will also decide on this matter. The conscience clause has become a central point of controversy. As a former mayor of a city, the speaker noted that hospital leadership sometimes leverages the conscience clause to limit women’s rights, a move the left vows not to permit in hospitals run by its coalition.
He described the issue as highly sensitive and consequential for women’s rights and urged vigilance about who wins the next elections.
“scorched earth”
Biedroń remarked that discussions on abortion have persisted for decades, with many offering excuses to tighten limits on a woman’s right to choose. He recalled hearing several figures who now claim election cycles are drawing near, suggesting restraint from positions that might irritate the Church. He noted echoes of past statements as campaigns shift through local, European, and national phases.
On March 5, a parliamentary leader announced that bills on abortion would be debated in the Sejm after the first round of local elections, highlighting the tension between pre-electoral pressures and policy debates. The current political reality remains intensely competitive, and the speaker acknowledged ongoing consultations aimed at reducing the risk that abortion bills would be rejected in the first reading amid pre-election fervor.
The left anticipates a broader strategy where proposals from right-leaning factions appear in response to proposals from the left, potentially leading to a stalemate or a scenario described as a scorched-earth outcome. The speaker commented on how such dynamics could influence local governance and the broader electoral landscape.
There are four abortion-related bills under consideration in the Sejm. Last November, the left introduced two bills: one partially decriminalizes abortion and its assistance, and another would permit termination up to the twelfth week. At the end of January, a Civic Coalition group submitted a proposal granting a pregnant woman access to health care through termination within the first twelve weeks. A late February initiative from Trzecia Droga, composed of PSL and Polska 2050 members, proposed reversing a 2020 Constitutional Court ruling and proposed a referendum on abortion.
Several indicators suggest the emergence of a centrist-left bloc, carefully crafted by a prominent political figure, that may experience internal tensions ahead of the 2025 presidential elections.
READ ALSO: – A critic of Hołownia argues that those who emphasize a referendum hide their actual parliamentary voting plans. – Abortion debates are framed by strong rhetoric and emotions from various sides. – Pro-life movements continue to challenge the approach to abortion legislation. – Religious and political leaders emphasize the protection of life and the welfare of families.