‘A devastating blow’: Abortion supporters lament election of pro-life president in Poland

Abortion supporters are mourning the election of Karol Nawrocki as president of Poland, saying that his pro-life position will thwart efforts to legalize abortion in the country.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Karol Nawrocki’s narrow victory over Rafał Trzaskowski has abortion advocates lamenting his pro-life stance.

• Nawrocki has promised not to sign any legislation that would advance abortion and would not reinstate a law allowing abortions for disabilities.

• Poland is one of the few countries in Europe that protects nearly all preborn children from abortion.

THE DETAILS:

In a second round of voting (due to failure to elect a candidate in the first round), the Polish electorate with over 71% voter turnout pushed Karol Nawrocki of the Law and Justice party to a narrow victory. Nawrocki received 50.89% of the vote compared to 49.11% for opponent Rafal Trzaskowski of the Civic Coalition party.

During his campaign, Nawrocki said that if elected, he would not sign into law any legislation that would allow abortion in the country, noting that he is “in favor of protecting life.” In a previous interview, he also emphasized that he would not reinstate a law allowing abortion in cases of Down syndrome.

“I could not allow, as a future president, for children with Down syndrome to be subjected to abortion,” he said.

An article posted by Yahoo! News characterized Nawrocki’s campaign as follows:

Though lacking any prior elected office, 42-years-old Nawrocki ran a campaign that resonated strongly with conservative voters by emphasizing traditional Catholic values, national sovereignty, and skepticism toward the European Union. His win, driven by promises of “bringing back normalcy,” is likely to slow — or even reverse — Poland’s liberal political trajectory.

His victory over opponent Rafał Trzaskowski has sent abortion advocates into a tailspin.

WHAT WE’RE HEARING:

Nika Kovač, coordinator for the My Voice, My Choice campaign, said Nawrocki’s election represents “a devastating blow to anyone fighting for reproductive freedom.”

“As a staunch conservative with strong nationalist backing, Nawrocki is expected not only to uphold but potentially tighten Poland’s already draconian abortion laws,” Kovač said in a written statement. “His win slams the door on hope for political reform in the near future — and locks in a future where women’s lives remain expendable.”

Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus, Polish Member of the European Parliament, said Nawrocki’s win means “there is no chance to change the abortion laws in Poland.” But she promised, “Sooner or later the discussion in Poland on this topic will erupt again. I am convinced of this.”

Nawrocki’s predecessor, Andrzej Duda, congratulated him on his win, writing (translated) on X: “I once again congratulate Karol Nawrocki on his victory in the elections. It was a difficult, sometimes painful but extremely courageous battle for Poland, for how the affairs of our Homeland are to be conducted. Thank you for this heroic fight until the last minute of the campaign!”

According to the Associated Press, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán congratulated Nawrocki as well, with Orbán calling Nawrocki’s election a “fantastic victory.”

THE BACKSTORY:

Poland remains one of the few European countries to protect almost all preborn children from abortion, allowing abortion only in cases of rape or incest, or if the mother’s life or health is in danger (though it is not medically necessary to intentionally and directly kill a preborn child to save a mother’s life).

Last year, pro-abortion lawmakers attempted to pass a law that would have allowed abortion through 12 weeks for any reason, and after 12 weeks in certain circumstances; the legislation failed.

Abortion advocates have also been busy promoting abortion in the country; earlier this year, a group called the Abortion Dream Team opened a center where women can go to take the abortion pill. French politicians have even traveled to the country with abortion pills, intent on helping Polish citizens kill their preborn children.

Abortion Doctors Share How The Most Common Abortion Procedures Take Place

Despite the country’s laws, there are no penalties for women who order the abortion pill and undergo a chemical abortion on their own.

GO DEEPER:

Read more about the continuing struggle to protect preborn human beings in Poland at the links below:

Outrage in Poland: Baby with disability killed by abortion at 37 weeks

The UN insists that killing preborn humans is a human right… and Poland is its latest target