Polish LGBTQ activists expect former Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who won the election, to carry out a "social revolution". The new set is preparing to purge state-controlled media and companies of people from the previous ruling party, PiS. Meanwhile, Poland's new parliament has begun the debate on restoring state funding for in vitro fertilization.

The Polish

There is a glimmer of hope among LGBTQ activists,

that the new government can end years of backsliding in gender rights, writes Politico.

Lawyers are "afraid" again

According to the article of the Brussels newspaper, under the title of which pressure is being exerted on the leader of the Civic Coalition (KO), Donald Tusk, "to implement the social revolution", reports that: Poland is facing a decisive turning point, the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party eight after his year-long administration.

But “civil rights groups worry that issues like that

abortion and LGBTQ+ discrimination will not be among the first priorities of the new government"

– worries my Brussels organ.

As Politico also recalls, the three-party, left-liberal opposition grouping in the October 15 parliamentary election – the Civic Coalition, the center-right Third Way and the Left – won a total of 248 seats in the 460-member parliament.

Their coalition, headed by former prime minister Donald Tusk, who can be called a man of the Brussels mainstream, has not yet taken power.

Respecting Polish parliamentary traditions, the President of the Republic Andrzej Duda first gave the Christian-conservative PiS, which obtained the most votes, the opportunity to try to win a vote of confidence in the parliament.

Announced purge

That effort is almost certain to fail, and a Tusk-led government will take office next month. The incoming government promises to "undo" the Polish judicial reforms introduced by the PiS in the spirit of the country's self-determination, but which caused a great uproar in Brussels and which opened years of conflicts with the EU, Politico says.

According to Tuskék's promises, the new cabinet

purge the state-controlled media and companies of people loyal to PiS, investigate and hold the outgoing government accountable for abuses,

and among other things, of course, encourages the transition to greener energy.

Don't get lost

The coalition also promises to improve Poland's record on women's rights,

it will criminalize hate speech against LGBTQ+ people and reverse a 2020 court decision that ended most abortion rights.

However, activists fear that the next government's agenda is so full that their issues will not be prioritized.

"We are very aware of the need to put the corrupt administration in order, to deal with the crisis of the judiciary, to respond to issues related to freedom of speech and freedom of the media," said Antonina Lewandowska, advocacy coordinator of the Polish Foundation for Women and Family Planning, worrying: "Women your rights can easily be lost, and our job in this case is to make sure that doesn't happen."

Homophobia and the 'spark of hope'

Miroslawa Makuchowska, an activist with the LGBTQ "rights protection" organization Campaign Against Homophobia in Poland, said there was a glimmer of hope that the civil coalition could end years of backsliding in gender discrimination in the country.

He added that it is also worrying and somewhat frustrating that he is preparing to govern

more conservative members of the opposition coalition say the government should focus on bigger challenges,

rather than LGBTQ or abortion rights.

"People voted for a different kind of vision, they didn't just vote for PiS!" Makuchowska believes.

The EU gasped for air

According to the annual evaluation of ILGA-Europe, a "civil organization" that brings together people with specific gender identities

Poland is the worst in the EU when it comes to maintaining and protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ people.

It was a long wait, a lot of damage still needs to be reversed, says A. Chaber, managing director of ILGA-Europe. At the same time, he believes that the hope is clear. According to him, it is a clear message from the voters that these changes are a priority.

Chaber recalled the movement of PiS-led local authorities to declare their city or larger region "LGBTQ-free".

The abortion law is divisive

However, Donald Tusk has already addressed some of these "fears", notes Politico. On his campaign tour, he called women's rights the number one issue in the country. He promised to introduce his gender equality policy if he came to power,

simplify legal procedures for transgender people, explore the possibility of introducing same-sex partnerships, and relax abortion laws.

Although the left and the civil coalition support the relaxation of the rules on abortion and not only the cancellation of the related 2020 court ruling, they "have a problem" with their coalition partner, the Third Way, which unites the liberal Poland 2050 political grouping and the socially conservative Polish People's Party.

Szymon Holownia, the leader of Poland 2050, the new president of the parliament, stated that although he would vote against the liberalization of abortion in addition to repealing the 2020 judgment,

his party is divided on the issue.

Source: hirado.hu

Photo: MTI/EPA/PAP/Piotr Nowak