Poland’s centrist government suffers defeat in vote on liberalizing abortion law

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his centrist coalition government have suffered a defeat in parliament, where a slim majority rejected legislation that would have eased the strict anti-abortion law. Tusk and his liberal Civic Coalition party supported the draft that would have lifted the current punishment for persons aiding women in abortion. It was a key element in Tusk’s program of reversing the policies of the previous right-wing government that have drawn massive protests. However, some lawmakers in the wider ruling coalition voted against the change, exposing cracks in the governing bloc. The liberalization was rejected by a 218-215 vote with two abstentions.