Justyna Wydrzynska (Warsaw, 49 years old) became a symbol of the abortion rights movement in Poland after she faced up to three years in prison for sending abortion pills to an abused woman, which ultimately led to eight months of community service, the appeal was lodged. In the country with the second most restrictive legislation in the EU – after Malta – voluntary abortion was a central issue in the liberal parties’ recent election campaign, particularly in the case of Donald Tusk’s conservative Citizens’ Coalition. and the most progressive formation, the Left.
Women’s suffrage was crucial to the liberal bloc’s victory over the ultra-conservative Law and Justice party in the October 15 election. However, during the negotiations to form a government – President Andrzej Duda had initially given this task to the PiS – it turned out that one of the partners, the center-right coalition “Third Way”, consisting of the agrarian party PSL and Polska 2050, is against it. To include abortion in the agreement to form an executive branch. Wydrzynska, who will receive EL PAÍS this Monday at the headquarters of Amnesty International in Madrid – with which she collaborates on the Write for Rights campaign – is pessimistic about the possibilities of legalizing free abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy – now This is only possible in cases of rape or danger to the mother’s life. The feminist movement, which now recognizes – despite warnings – that the Third Way was not clear during the campaign, is “surprised and angry,” she says.
Questions. Third Way has said it will oppose including legalization of abortion in the coalition agreement following the elections.
Answer. They even said that once during the election campaign. They didn’t actually say, “We are against the legalization of abortion,” but used the pretext of organizing a referendum. One day we saw each other in Parliament [Wladyslaw] Kosiniak-Kamysz, the leader of the PSL, and we asked him: “Do you really want society to decide whether we can have an abortion or not, to decide about our bodies?” And he said to our faces: “ Yes, I want everyone to decide.” People voted for them because they have fairly liberal solutions on the economy, health, foreign policy or education. But they are not a good option for women’s rights. [Szymon] Holownia from Polska 2050 has been against abortion since its inception in politics.
Q What do you think will happen in the end? Donald Tusk and the left have advocated for the legalization of abortion.
R. Tusk said that if they won the election, they would legalize free abortion without any assumptions. What does “legalization of abortion” mean? What does that mean? Will it be legal until week 10, 12, 14, 18? Only in hospitals, in the private sector, during operations? Will a psychological or social report be mandatory…? There was no concrete proposal behind it. It is nothingness. But it’s enough for people to hear something like that. On Wednesday, the Citizens Coalition called the Abortion Dream Team together with Federa and Strajk Kobiet (Women’s Strike) to a meeting in the Sejm [la Cámara baja del Parlamento]. You would like to talk to us and probably work out some suggestions.
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Q So you think that abortion is not completely excluded in the coalition agreement?
R. Politician games are very unpleasant. The citizens’ coalition has to propose something in order not to seem crazy. They will propose a bill that will not be implemented because it does not have enough support. And Tusk will probably say it’s his fault. [los líderes de Tercera Vía] Holownia and Kosiniak-Kamysz.
Q What message will you bring to this meeting?
R. First, decriminalization is essential. Then access to abortion must be broader. Not only by the healthcare system, but we as activists should be protected when we distribute pills because we believe that we should do so if there is no legalization of abortion.
Q What is the atmosphere in the feminism and abortion rights movements according to Third Way’s position?
R. Many people are surprised, but I don’t understand why, because we warned that the referendum proposal was an excuse. But actually the movement is surprised. Surprised and angry.
Polish abortion rights activist Justyna Wydrzynska during the interview this Monday in Madrid. Claudio Alvarez
Q And in the general population?
R. Among my friends who are not involved in politics, there are those who really believe that the Third Way, although it talks about the referendum, will ultimately vote for legalization. Many people see the referendum as a positive thing because everyone can have a say, but no, only the pregnant person should decide about their own body. I would be happier if they had said: “We are against the legalization of free abortion, but we want to go back to the old law.”
Q Now there is talk of a return to the previous law, which allowed abortion if the fetus was malformed.
R. Yes, but again immediately after the elections, not before. It’s terrible, they call it commitment. And in reality, this endangers women’s rights. Allow abortion for these three reasons [violación, peligro para la salud y la vida de la madre, y malformación del feto] Is it an obligation to be in the EU? A compromise would be to legalize abortions up to 10 weeks, for example.
Q Would that be your goal, free abortion up to 10 weeks?
R. For me the goal is legalization without giving reasons until the 12th week. This is what we fought for and what we will work for. We have placed a lot of trust in the politicians and they have four years to push this legislation forward.
Q So do you still have confidence or faith?
R. No, but I give them the opportunity to do it in four years. I know it will be difficult. But I want to see change. I accept if they don’t legalize it. But I want to see changes in how politicians talk about abortion, how they behave, and whether they protect activists.
Q Is there a feeling of relief that the worst is over, with the end of the PiS government in sight?
R. No, this isn’t over yet. We have a prosecutor appointed by the president, and he can bully us with a criminal code that criminalizes abortion assistance. Pro-abortion organizations continue to function. And they continue to denounce us. Just two weeks ago I was at the police station and they interrogated me because I gave information about how to have an abortion.
Q But providing information is legal.
R. Yes, but it depends on the prosecutor’s office. If the prosecutor is against abortion, he can open an investigation. It’s not over.
Q In short, the parties have championed the issue of abortion. And it worked because they won.
R. And now there will be no legalization of abortion.
Q There is hope?
R. (Thinks for a moment and snorts) No, there is no hope.
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