Poland’s left-wing opposition sets out policies on abortion access, climate and affordable housing

The Left, the second largest opposition bloc in Poland’s parliament, has unveiled a set of policy proposals emphasising reproductive rights, environmental issues and economic support for young people.

Under the slogan “The future is now”, the group – which was formed in 2019 from an alliance of the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), Spring (Wiosna) and Left Together (Lewica Razem) – gave the floor to youth activists at its convention on Saturday.

Speakers in their teens and twenties called for an emphasis on science and less influence of the church in politics and schools, for climate neutrality, homes and stable jobs for young people, and the right to abortion.

“For too long Poland has been dominated by old men,” said Adrian Zandberg, a leader of Left Together, quoted by Polsat. “It’s time for the voices of the young generation that wants a fair, social, free and modern Poland to be heard and to change our country.”

At the conference, The Left revealed a list of ten central demands:

1. The right to abortion
2. Climate neutrality
3. An end to “junk contracts”
4. School without religion
5. Cheap apartments for rent
6. Science, not propaganda
7. Marriage equality
8. A psychologist in every school
9. Sex and anti-discrimination education
10. Green energy

The first point on the convention agenda was introduced by Klaudia Marek (pictured above), a young activist who spoke of her experiences protesting against the Constitutional Tribunal in October which paved the way for a near-total ban on abortion in Poland.

“We had to go out onto the street,” she said, quoted by Polsat. “The government want to make us into incubators. I’m supposed to give birth to children at all costs. Even if I die after two days. They’re taking away our right to choose.”

Maciej Rauhut, a 14-year-old from the small town of Krapkowice who was visited by police officers after sharing a post on Facebook in support of the protests, also spoke of his experiences.

“They just told me that I could not turn up at the strike…because they saw me as the organiser of an illegal assembly and would take me to court,” he said, quoted by Polsat.

Last October’s ruling, which declared terminations in the case of foetal defects – which make up around 98% of all legal abortions in Poland – to be unconstitutional, led to the country’s largest demonstrations since the fall of communism.

A poll last week found that over 80% of women in Poland oppose the new abortion restrictions, with the largest proportion (44%) wanting terminations to be available on demand.

The ruling national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party has supported toughening the abortion law, and is widely seen to be behind the ruling. The centrist Civic Platform (PO), the largest opposition party, last week declared support for liberalising access to terminations.

The young speakers at the convention also discussed the influence of the church, sex education and the situation of LGBT people in Poland.

The people wielding power in the country are “a group of old men in cassocks…who try to tell us what a sin is”, said Angelika Słowińska. “They think they know better than us what we should think about our body, sex, pregnancy or abortion. Bishops, I didn’t vote for you.”

Dorota Dominików complained about church influence in education, citing an art competition in her school on the subject of encouraging people to have children and criticising abortion.

Jakub Pietrzak from Warsaw said the time of “meek gays” was over and that LGBT people demanded civil unions, full marriage equality, protection from hate speech, and equality in education.

“There is no reason for two adults in the 21st century not to be able to say their vows in a civil registry office,” said Robert Biedroń, leader of Spring. Biedroń himself has expressed hope that he will one day be able to formalise his long-term relationship with Krzysztof Śmiszek, who also serves as an MP for The Left.

The left-wing bloc’s list of proposals also emphasised green issues. Matylda Szpila from Kraków spoke of her participation in climate strikes, noting that her city was failing to encourage young people to use public transport by increasing ticket prices for students.

Despite some advances, Poland has faced criticism for its sluggish progress in environmental issues, and is the only member state not to have signed up to the EU’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.

The agenda presented at the convention also stressed practical economic problems faced by young people in Poland, such as high rent prices, low pay, and so-called “junk contracts”, which do not give the same security as full employment contracts.

“I’ve never seen an employment contract,” said Henryk Wójtowicz, another young speaker. “For my generation it’s some mythical creature – everyone’s heard of it, but nobody’s seen it.”

Zandberg said that The Left wants to guarantee workers’ rights, including holiday leave, social security and employment stability. Czarzasty added that the alliance would set up a state enterprise to build two million new homes.

The Left faced some criticism for concluding its convention, which had set out a progressive agenda, by having the three male leaders of SLD, Spring and Together taking to the stage.

“Where are the women?” asked Katarzyna Lubnauer, the leader of Modern (Nowoczesna), a liberal opposition party.

“Don’t be silly and don’t repeat rubbish, Kaśka [the diminutive of Katarzyna],” responded Włodzimierz Czarzasty, the leader of SLD. “Write something intelligent.”

The Left obtained 12.5% of the vote at the 2019 parliamentary elections. It currently has 48 seats in the Sejm, Poland’s more powerful lower-house of parliament, making it the second largest opposition bloc behind the PO-led Civic Coalition, which has 132.

Recent polls have put The Left’s support at almost 10%, making it the fourth most popular grouping behind the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, Civic Coalition and a new centrist group, Poland 2050 (Polska 2050).

Main image credit: Adam Stępień/Agencja Gazeta

Ben Koschalka

Ben Koschalka is a translator and senior editor at Notes from Poland. Originally from Britain, he has lived in Kraków since 2005.