Poland’s president has vetoed a bill that would make the ‘morning after’ contraceptive pill available without prescription to anyone over the age of 15, the President’s Office announced on Friday. The president’s veto sparked harsh criticism of the ruling coalition, who say they have a “plan B” up their sleeve.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk also took to the X platform on Friday to comment on Duda’s veto.
“The president did not take the opportunity to stand up for women. We are implementing a plan B,” he wrote on Friday afternoon.
Izabela Leszczyna, the health minister, has recently outlined the plan B, in case of a veto. She said the change would be implemented through a regulation concerning pharmacists.
In an interview with the Onet.pl news website on Friday, she explained that “pharmacists will be able to issue a pharmacy prescription and sell a woman the pill based on a consultation.”
“The regulation will refer to the act on healthcare services financed from public funds and the pharmacist profession act,” she added.
“The pill will be available from May 1,” Leszczyna declared.
Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk, the family minister, commented on the decision on the X platform later on Friday.
“Veto of emergency contraception is an endorsement of unwanted pregnancies of 15-year-olds,” she wrote.
“A harmful, hurtful and just plain stupid decision, but don't worry, women, girls - we can handle it,” Dziemianowicz-Bąk added.
Vice-President of the European Parliament, former Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz, told the Polish Press Agency (PAP) on Friday that “Polish women will not forgive the president for this.”
“I was prime minister when the morning-after pill was available to patients from the age of 15 and it worked,” Kopacz said.
The morning-after pill was previously made available in Poland without prescription for patients aged 15 and over in 2015 by the centrist government of the Civic Platform (PO), in coalition with the Polish People’s Party (PSL). The restriction on access to the pill was introduced in 2017 by the former government of Law and Justice (PiS) party, which is now the largest party in the opposition and of which Duda is an ally. “We have not recorded any serious incidents related to taking this pill,” Kopacz added.
The President’s Chancellery explained on its website that “the president, in listening in particular to the voices of parents, could not accept legal measures enabling access for children under the age of 18 to pharmaceutical products for use in contraception without the involvement of a doctor and omitting the role and responsibility of parents.”
Jan Mosińśki, a senator PiS welcomed the decision. “A very good decision by the President of the Republic,” he wrote on X.
“The president did not take the opportunity to stand up for women. We are implementing a plan B,” he wrote on Friday afternoon.
Izabela Leszczyna, the health minister, has recently outlined the plan B, in case of a veto. She said the change would be implemented through a regulation concerning pharmacists.
In an interview with the Onet.pl news website on Friday, she explained that “pharmacists will be able to issue a pharmacy prescription and sell a woman the pill based on a consultation.”
“The regulation will refer to the act on healthcare services financed from public funds and the pharmacist profession act,” she added.
“The pill will be available from May 1,” Leszczyna declared.
Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk, the family minister, commented on the decision on the X platform later on Friday.
“Veto of emergency contraception is an endorsement of unwanted pregnancies of 15-year-olds,” she wrote.
“A harmful, hurtful and just plain stupid decision, but don't worry, women, girls - we can handle it,” Dziemianowicz-Bąk added.
Vice-President of the European Parliament, former Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz, told the Polish Press Agency (PAP) on Friday that “Polish women will not forgive the president for this.”
“I was prime minister when the morning-after pill was available to patients from the age of 15 and it worked,” Kopacz said.
The morning-after pill was previously made available in Poland without prescription for patients aged 15 and over in 2015 by the centrist government of the Civic Platform (PO), in coalition with the Polish People’s Party (PSL). The restriction on access to the pill was introduced in 2017 by the former government of Law and Justice (PiS) party, which is now the largest party in the opposition and of which Duda is an ally. “We have not recorded any serious incidents related to taking this pill,” Kopacz added.
The President’s Chancellery explained on its website that “the president, in listening in particular to the voices of parents, could not accept legal measures enabling access for children under the age of 18 to pharmaceutical products for use in contraception without the involvement of a doctor and omitting the role and responsibility of parents.”
Jan Mosińśki, a senator PiS welcomed the decision. “A very good decision by the President of the Republic,” he wrote on X.
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