ZCZC
BFF-06
POLAND-POLITICS-ABORTION FOCUS
‘Silent majority’ of Poles favour strict abortion law
WARSAW, Nov 29, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – While mass protests against a
court verdict backing a near-total ban on abortion have taken on an
increasingly political flavour in Poland, the devout Catholic country
is far from turning pro-choice.
Surveys show that Poles have grown comfortable with existing
abortion legislation — among Europe’s most restrictive — adopted in
1993 as part of a church-state compromise after the collapse of
communism.
Abortion is only permitted in cases of rape or incest, when the life
of the mother is at risk or if there is a severe foetal anomaly. That
last provision was struck down by the constitutional court last month,
triggering a wave of protests nationwide.
“We’re seeing a surprising mobilisation of the younger generation in
particular in these protests. And in that group, support for a more
liberal law is growing — but that’s not the majority,” said Adam
Szostkiewicz, a commentator on political and religious issues.
“The majority had been silent for years, holding the belief that if
the Church says so and politicians don’t question it, then evidently
that’s just how it must be,” he told AFP.
Only 22 percent of Poles are in favour of abortion on demand,
according to a survey published late last month by the independent
Kantar pollsters. Sixty-two percent think it should be legal in
certain cases, while 11 percent are in favour of a total ban.
– ‘There was no sexual revolution’ –
According to sociologist Katarzyna Zielinska, the attachment of
Poles to Catholicism as well as conservative family and gender roles
is rooted in the communist past.
“There was no sexual revolution in Poland. On the contrary, we had a
religious renewal, because the mobilisation against the communist
regime was associated with religion.”
Under communism, when Poland had a liberal termination law and
contraceptive measures were either unavailable or ineffective,
abortions took place en masse.
Today the EU member of 38 million people sees fewer than 2,000 legal
abortions every year, according to official statistics. Women’s groups
estimate that another 200,000 women abort illegally or abroad.
Social researcher Inga Koralewska told AFP that the communist regime
liberalised abortion not for women’s rights but for political reasons,
possibly as “a flick on the nose at the Church, the bedrock of Polish
identity” and an ally of the opposition at the time.
When communism fell, the Church was in a position of strength and
efficiency while Polish state institutions were in a shambles,
allowing it to play an active role in shaping the current abortion
law.
– Only time will tell –
Back then, Poles had more liberal views on abortion.
In 1992, 47 percent of Poles believed abortion should be permitted
in difficult financial circumstances, according to the CBOS institute.
By 2016, approval was down to 14 percent.
The decrease can be attributed to multiple factors, including the
tendency for laws to shape attitudes as well as a societal response to
the fact that politicians — even on the left — were loath to take on
the issue lest the Church turn voters against them.
Zielinska said the impetus for change began with the smaller-scale
2016 protests against a proposed tightening of the law, when women
began to speak out about their own terminations.
“Perhaps this is a step that will take us in a more liberal
direction,” she added.
Szostkiewicz said the “radicalisation” of Poland’s liberals was a
significant development.
“They’ve had enough of the majority’s silence, are fed up with the
Church’s interference — in covenant with the state — in their
private matters and are publicly voicing their anger,” he said.
“I see it as a sign that this principled, radical group will most
likely grow in strength, and will have an effect on broader public
opinion. But will that happen now or in the near future? I don’t
know.”
BSS/AFP/MRU/0910hrs