While the European Union claims to defend the rights of crime victims, it is in reality attempting to quietly push through a gravely problematic provision: the introduction of a right to abortion as a so-called "essential" medical service for victims of violence. This maneuver, concealed within a directive currently under negotiation, is causing profound concern among defenders of life and national sovereignty.
At the heart of this controversy is a reform of European Directive 2012/29/EU, which originally aimed to establish minimum standards of support and protection for victims of criminal offenses. The revised draft now introduces a dangerous passage in its Article 9, which refers to purported access to "comprehensive medical services, such as safe and legal abortion," in accordance with national laws. The European Parliament, with the support of the Commission, wishes to make abortion a component of "medical assistance" for women who are victims of sexual violence.
This legislative sleight of hand is taking place under the presidency of the Council of the Union, currently held by... Poland. This is precisely what shocks observers, as Poland has until now distinguished itself as a fierce defender of life and the principle of subsidiarity enshrined in the treaties. A crucial question arises: why is the Polish government allowing such proposals to reach the EU agenda without clear resistance?
Krzysztof Zuba, a representative of the European Federation One of Us, does not mince words:
"This raises serious concerns. Poland, once a bastion of the defense of life, seems to remain silent as abortion is insidiously introduced as a 'right' at the European level. This is a betrayal of commitments made to respect national sovereignty and human dignity."
The core of the problem lies in the fact that this project far exceeds the competencies that the European Union has set for itself. By integrating abortion into a judicial directive, Brussels oversteps the framework established by Article 82 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, which limits European action to judicial cooperation in criminal matters. No passage in this treaty authorizes the Union to impose or even define medical standards, especially on a matter as sensitive and moral as abortion.
The wording used in the directive's explanatory annexes suggests that this so-called "medical care" could go much further: sexual health, reproductive health, etc. In short, a legislative breach is being opened that could later be used to challenge national pro-life laws in court by invoking European law. This would be a Trojan horse for a culture of death that many peoples reject.
The One of Us federation, which brings together fifty associations from nineteen countries, including the Polish Federation of Pro-Life Movements and the "One of Us" Foundation, is sounding the alarm. It reminds us that this directive is supposed to harmonize support for victims, not instrumentalize their pain to promote morally questionable practices. Above all, it emphasizes that nearly two million European citizens had already expressed, via a European Citizens' Initiative, their opposition to any involvement of the Union in areas concerning nascent human life.
The integration of abortion into this text opens a legal, ethical, and political breach that ultimately threatens the freedom of member states to protect life according to their own traditions, laws, and moral convictions. This is not a minor detail; it is a frontal attack on national sovereignty, subsidiarity, and above all, on human life.
The question posed today is clear: how far will we allow Brussels to manipulate texts to smuggle abortion in through the back door when peoples do not want this deadly ideology? And why is Poland, which knew how to stand firm when necessary, now retreating?
It is urgent that political leaders, Catholics, legal experts, and European citizens mobilize. This is not a simple administrative amendment: it is a civilizational change they are trying to impose on us.