Poland’s ruling majority of centrists, conservatives and leftwingers, headed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, failed to pass a law on July 12 aimed at easing some of the country’s strict anti-abortion regulations.

Loosening Poland’s draconian abortion laws — which result in almost no legally possible terminations, also impacting legitimate cases where doctors do nothing for fear of being prosecuted — was one of the key pledges by Tusk in the run-up to the election in October 2023.

But the four-party coalition Tusk is leading is made up of the strongly conservative Polish People’s Party (PSL) as well as individual anti-abortion MPs from other parties — including Tusk’s own Civic Coalition. 

Those MPs voting against or not voting at all — despite some being present at the plenary — effectively sunk the proposal, with 215 votes in favour and 218 against, triggering a crisis of credibility in the coalition. 

The rejected proposal sought the abolition of criminal liability for assisting in the termination of a pregnancy if helping a close person, and also the abolition of criminal liability for doctors in the case of termination of a pregnancy up to 12 weeks old.

After the vote, Tusk suspended two MPs from his party, also stripping them of their functions in the parliamentary caucus and the government. 

“The proposal that had the potential to bring a semblance of normalcy to the lives of women in Poland was rejected today by PSL. These are the MPs who belong to the ruling coalition elected by women,” Federal, a women’s rights organisation, said in a statement following the vote.

“The rejection of the proposal is a slap in the face to each and every one of us,” it also said.

The Left is planning to submit the proposal again before the parliament’s summer break that begins in August.

The failed attempt to pass the proposal also hits Tusk’s strategy of passing laws that President Andrzej Duda, an ally of the formerly ruling Law and Justice (PiS), is likely to veto.

As Duda is stepping down next year, his vetoing the government’s laws would work in favour of a Tusk-endorsed candidate versus anyone fielded by PiS.