Polish Senate passes two abortion bills, sending them to President Nawrocki

Senate approves both bills

The Senate of Poland approved two abortion-related bills on Friday, 6 November 2026, and both now go to President Karol Nawrocki. The Sejm had passed them on 20 October 2026, and the senators voted without amendments. The bill restoring the third ground for abortion passed with 58 votes in favour, 33 against and 3 abstentions. On the criminal code change decriminalising help with abortion, Rzeczpospolita reports 56 votes in favour and 34 against, while oko.press reports 54 in favour and 34 against. Oko.press says the coalition mostly voted in favour of the criminal code change, with Kazimierz Michał Ujazdowski and Jan Libicki of Trzecia Droga breaking ranks.

For58

Against33

Abstained3

For

58

Against

33

Abstained

3

Data from the article text

Restoring the fetal defect ground

The second bill amends the family planning law of 1993 to bring back the option of ending a pregnancy where tests or other medical findings show a high probability of a severe and irreversible fetal defect, or an incurable illness threatening the fetus's life. That ground has not applied since January 2021, after the Constitutional Tribunal's judgment of 22 October 2020 declared it unconstitutional. The ruling set off protests in many Polish cities. Under the bill, a woman would be entitled to a free termination at a facility with a National Health Fund contract, or outside a hospital when a medication is used, provided her health does not rule it out. After a termination she would also be able to use psychological support outside the normal queue for six months. Oko.press notes that Trzecia Droga, made up of PSL and Polska 2050, submitted this bill in 2024 and that it had never been processed before this vote.

Decriminalising help with abortion

The first bill repeals article 152 §2 of the criminal code, which punishes helping a woman end a pregnancy in breach of the law or inciting her to do so. Oko.press explains that this covers people such as partners, family members and social organisations. Article 152 §1, which applies to medical staff who carry out the procedure, stays in force and provides for up to three years in prison. A paragraph added during work in the Sejm, §4, would exempt doctors, nurses and midwives from criminal liability in specified situations linked to medical procedures that protect the life or health of a pregnant woman, or where a severe fetal defect or incurable illness is highly probable.

Background and what comes next

The decriminalisation bill was first submitted in July 2024 by Lewica and Koalicja Obywatelska, but it lacked a majority in the Sejm and failed. Oko.press reports that it was resubmitted a few days later, initially to remove both paragraphs of article 152, before the removal of §1 was dropped during the work on the bill. After that defeat in 2024, Donald Tusk said the abortion law could not be changed during the current Sejm term. An election year has now begun, and abortion was among the coalition's key promises, which brought the issue back before parliament and led to the votes. Oko.press doubts that President Karol Nawrocki will sign the bills.