Now Norway must stand up for Polish women

Poland has almost introduced a total ban on abortion. Norway must react sharply to the attack on women’s fundamental rights.

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This is a leader. The editorial expresses Bergens Tidende’s publicist idea: A party-politically independent, independent, liberal and bourgeois (non-socialist) newspaper.

In a few years, Poland has turned away from European cooperation and progress in civil justice. Instead, the country is constantly taking steps towards a darker future for women, gays, ethnic minorities and many other vulnerable groups.

On Thursday last week, the Polish Constitutional Court ruled in favor of abortion. It says that abortion of non-viable fetuses violates the constitution of the country. Damage to the fetus will no longer be a reason to be granted an abortion.

Thus, Polish women become from now on forced to produce a fetus that will not be able to survive more than a short time from birth.

The only legal reasons for abortion in Poland will in future be that the woman is raped or that her life is in danger.

The Polish Party for Law and Justice, abbreviated PiS, has done well in elections in recent years. This has led to negative changes in the legislation for both women and gays.

Last week Abortion tightening by the Constitutional Court has led to major protests in Poland. Women, but also men, have demonstrated in and outside churches across the country.

During the communist era, the Catholic Church was a symbol of freedom and diversity of opinion in Poland.

Today, many Poles see the church as a close ally of PiS. Thus, the picture is reversed, and the church is today under harsh criticism from liberal Poles.

This summer, Norway did It is clear that they will withhold EEA funds that should have gone to areas in Poland that have been declared “LGBT-free”, ie where sexual minorities are not welcome.

The basic premise is that this anti-gay policy is contrary to the common European values ​​on which the EEA project is to be based.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs should consider whether there are further steps to go as darkness falls over Poland also for women’s right to free abortion. Abortion clinics, women’s organizations and other measures should receive much-needed help no.

In addition, Norway must state clearly whether this attack on women’s fundamental rights is serious.

It is openly not possible for Norway to reverse the Polish abortion policy. But the Polish government must at least know that this is unacceptable from a Norwegian point of view.

And Polish women should know that they are not alone in the struggle.