O The Polish president today vetoed a bill to liberalize access to the morning-after pill in the country, a veto anticipated by the new pro-European government, which said it was prepared to circumvent it.
Poland saw a setback in women’s reproductive rights during the eight years of government of the nationalist and populist Law and Justice (PiS) party.
In line with its election promises, the pro-EU coalition, led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk and in power since December, adopted a bill that aims to allow free access to the morning-after pill from the age of 15. Currently, its prescription is authorized in Poland only with a doctor’s prescription.
Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally and declared Catholic, decided to “return the amendment to the law on pharmaceutical products to parliament, asking it to re-examine the law (veto)”, according to a press release from the Presidency released today.
The head of state justified his refusal by respecting “the standards for protecting children’s health”.
Andrzej Duda “cannot accept legal solutions that allow minors under 18 to have access to contraceptive medicines without medical supervision and without taking into account the role and responsibility of parents”, according to the same statement.
However, the head of state “declared himself open to the solutions provided for in the law in question, with regard to adult women (over 18 years of age)”.
“We are launching plan B”, Prime Minister Donald Tusk reacted on the social network X (formerly Twitter), lamenting that the President had not taken advantage of “the opportunity to stand alongside women”.
Anticipating the presidential veto, the Government announced that it would bypass Duda’s obstruction, allowing pharmacists to prescribe the pill.
“A regulation is in the final consultation phase (…). This tablet will be available upon pharmaceutical prescription”, delivered by a pharmacist, from May 1st, declared the Minister of Health, Izabela Leszczyna.
According to the governor, the President “behaved in a hypocritical manner”.
“We cannot declare ourselves defenders of life, against abortion, and at the same time say that emergency contraception, which is perfectly safe and available in 25 European Union (EU) countries, is a bad thing,” said the ministers to the television channel TVN24.
The vice-president of the upper house of parliament, Magdalena Biejat, from the Esquerda Junta party, also condemned the head of state’s decision, determining that young women should have access to the morning-after pill like adult women, “because young women, Girls can get pregnant too.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), emergency contraception should be “systematically included” in all national family planning programs.
The debate over the morning-after pill coincides with attempts to liberalize Polish legislation on abortion, which is one of the strictest in Europe, where it is only legal if it results from rape or incest, or if it threatens the life or health of the woman. mother.
Four bills aimed at liberalizing abortion have already been presented to parliament, but work has not yet begun, pending the green light from the president of the lower house of parliament.
Read Also: Polish President vetoed proposal to facilitate access to the morning-after pill
Download our free App.
Eighth consecutive year Consumer Choice for Online Press and elected product of the year 2024.
* Study by e Netsonda, Nov. and ten. 2023 product of the year – pt.com
Source: https://www.noticiasaominuto.com/mundo/2530855/polonia-aplica-plano-b-para-contornar-veto-sobre-pilula-do-dia-seguinte
