Beata Szydlo also said she does not approve of her foreign minister's strong criticism of the many Poles who took part in large protests on Monday against the proposal.

Ms Szydlo, speaking during a news conference, said she wants to see calmer emotions surrounding the divisive proposal to impose a total ban on abortion, even in cases of rape or if the mother's life is at risk. She said all views on the matter need to be respected.

Yet she was clearly distancing herself and her government - and by extension her ruling party Law and Justice - from the proposal.

"I want to say it very loudly and clearly: the government of Law and Justice was not working and is not working on any law that would change the currently binding regulations," Ms Szydlo said.

It is not clear if the proposal will fall at the parliamentary commission stage, where it is now, or whether it will still move forward in parliament, where some politicians do support it.

Bills can either be sent to parliament by the government, the president, or be written directly by politicians themselves, and MPs would have the right to continue to consider the proposal. However, the ruling party could pressure its members not to support it.

The proposal came from an anti-abortion citizens' initiative that gathered 450,000 signatures and is supported by the church.

But opposition in the larger society is massive.

On Monday, nearly 100,000 people donned black and attended street protests across the country, while there were also rallies in Brussels and other European cities. Some Polish women also boycotted work and classes to protest against the proposal.

Poland already has one of the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe, with abortion allowed only in cases of rape or incest, if the foetus is badly damaged or if the woman's life in at risk. Many of the protesters slammed the idea of a total ban as "medieval" and "barbaric".

Earlier on Tuesday, foreign minister Witold Waszczykowski called the protests "marginal" and denounced them as "a mockery of important issues".

Those words angered women and members of the political opposition and prompted calls for him to apologise.

Ms Szydlo said she did not approve of Ms Waszczykowski's words.

"I summoned him and told him that there will be no approval for that kind of commentary of these events," Ms Szydlo said.