Polish President Karol Nawrocki joined thousands of families marching through the streets of Warsaw on Sunday for the National March for Life — Poland’s largest annual pro-life gathering, held under the patronage of the Catholic Church and now in its twentieth year.
This year’s march carried the theme “Faith and Fidelity 966-2026,” commemorating the 1,060th anniversary of the baptism of Poland — the moment in 966 AD when Poland’s first ruler, Mieszko I, converted to Christianity, anchoring the nation’s identity in the faith it continues to defend today.
Nawrocki, a conservative aligned with the Law and Justice party who took office last August, joined the march as it passed the presidential palace, signing placards and addressing the crowd. “Thousands of people in the heart of Warsaw are showing how important life is to Poland, how important family is to Poland,” he said. “That’s why the president of Poland cannot be absent today.”
The march comes amid ongoing political pressure from Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government to liberalize Poland’s abortion law — though internal coalition divisions have so far prevented any reform from passing parliament. Tusk himself admitted last year that liberalization was unlikely in the current parliamentary term. Meanwhile, the government’s introduction of a new mandatory health education curriculum — which the Catholic bishops’ conference has called “anti-family” and “morally corrupting” — has fueled fresh tensions between the church and the ruling coalition.
Poland’s demographic situation adds urgency to the day’s message. The country has recorded more deaths than births in each of the last 13 years, with the fertility rate falling to 1.1 in 2024 — one of the lowest in the world. President Nawrocki is correct that Poland’s future depends on valuing life and family. No government program, no EU subsidy, and no immigration policy can substitute for a culture that welcomes children.
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