Polish MPs, including 40 MPs of the ruling party Civic Platform (PO) and 19 MPs of the junior coalition Polish People’s Party (PSL), voted in favor of further works on the right-wing opposition party Solidary Poland (SP) draft law tightening of the already restrictive abortion law.

PO parliamentary caucus head Rafal Grupinski expressed surprise at his colleagues voting against the caucus recommendation and called it a mistake.

Under the current law, drafted back in 1993, abortion is prohibited in nearly all circumstances except when pregnancy is due to rape, pregnancy endangers the life of the mother or if there is a high probability of serious and irreversible damage to a fetus.

SP however, proposes abolishing the last of these exceptions, which it has branded “eugenic abortions”.