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“It cannot be the case that the law requires such heroism from a woman,” Duda told RMF FM.
He spoke after seven days of massive protests sparked by the Constitutional Court’s ruling that the laws currently in force in Poland, allowing abortions in cases of fetal malformations, are unconstitutional.
VIDEO: In Poland, the decision to ban abortion even in the case of birth defects: mines fight for women’s rights in protests
The ruling issued by the Constitutional Court last Thursday further toughened Polish abortion laws, which were already among the strictest in Europe. Once the order enters into force after its publication in the Official Gazette of the Judiciary, abortion will only be allowed in the event of rape or incest, as well as when the life of the mother is in danger.
Protests across the country involved many young people who responded to activists’ calls to take to the streets to defend women’s rights.
In Poland, long-term fragmentation has now been observed on the streets.
On Wednesday night, men from the far-right group Mlodziez Wszechpolska attacked women who participated in protests in various cities, including Wroclaw, Poznan and Bialystok.
The incidents came after Poland’s most influential politician, ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, urged his supporters to take to the streets to defend churches.
Last Sunday, the women went to the churches to interrupt the mass and attack the priests. In some places, church buildings were sprayed with paint. In the past, such actions would be unthinkable in Poland.
Many viewed Kaczynski’s words as permission for violence against protesters.
Duda’s comments on Thursday are completely different from his initial reaction last week, when he welcomed the Constitutional Court’s decision and emphasized his opposition to abortion even in cases of birth defects.
The president also hinted at something different to Kaczynski’s security assessment: He said that only the police should guard the streets.
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