Spain’s government announces plans to enshrine right to abortion
(MENAFN) Spain’s left-leaning government has announced plans to enshrine the right to abortion in the country’s constitution, following controversy over a Madrid city council decision to provide women with information on so-called “post-abortion syndrome.”
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Friday that his coalition, consisting of Socialists and the hard-left, will submit a constitutional reform proposal to parliament, emphasizing that women’s rights will not be compromised by opposition parties. He accused the conservative Popular Party (PP) of “merging with the far right” after PP councilors in Madrid supported a Vox party initiative requiring health centers to warn women about potential post-abortion trauma.
“With this government, there will be no backtracking on social rights,” Sanchez wrote on X, noting the reform will also adjust existing laws to prevent pregnant women from receiving “misleading or anti-scientific information about abortion.” A constitutional amendment in Spain requires a three-fifths parliamentary majority, meaning the Socialist-led coalition will need support from opposition parties.
The Madrid council measure, approved on Tuesday, claimed that post-abortion syndrome could lead to drug use, suicidal thoughts, or cancer—a position widely criticized by medical experts for lacking scientific consensus. Madrid Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida later clarified that the syndrome is not a recognized medical category and women would not be forced to receive the information.
Abortion in Spain was decriminalized in limited cases in 1985, with a 2010 reform allowing it up to 14 weeks of pregnancy. Last year, France became the first country to enshrine abortion rights in its constitution.
The debate arises amid broader concerns about Europe’s declining fertility rates. Spain currently has a fertility rate of 1.41 children per woman, well below the replacement level of 2.1, and Europe overall faces steep population declines. Some studies suggest the long-term survival threshold could be as high as 2.7 children per woman.
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