(Bloomberg) -- Poland’s government is stalling the implementation of a court ruling that effectively bans abortion amid some of the biggest street protests since fall of Communism.
Though the political climate is tense, this could be but a bureaucratic slowdown. Verdicts become binding after they’re printed in a government gazette and the cabinet had until Nov. 2 to publish a ruling that further tightens one of Europe’s strictest laws on ending pregnancies.
“There’s discussion about the president’s proposal and it’s good to give yourself some time for dialogue and to work out a new position,” Michal Dworczyk, the head of the prime minister’s chancellery, told broadcaster TVN24 on Tuesday.
The standoff with protesters comes as the government has told people to stay indoors to stop the spread of the coronavirus, which hasn’t stopped pro-choice women from taking to the streets.
The ruling Law & Justice party has lost about a quarter of its supporters as the tussle over civil liberties drags on.
Delaying Tactics?
The cabinet has in the past delayed publications of rulings it disagreed with, but this time the move appears aimed at avoiding -- at least for now -- escalation that could stoke even bigger demonstrations.
Last Friday, at least 100,000 people gathered in a march in Warsaw and more than half a million protested across the country.
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