Spain’s debate on regional abortion rights sparks
MADRID (AP) — A regional government’s move to restrict abortion rights in a large part of central Spain reignited debate Friday on the issue in the southern European country, in the runup to this year’s local elections.
Under the new measures adopted by the conservative and far-right coalition governing the Castile and León region, women seeking an abortion there must be offered optional access to unsolicited resources by doctors before starting the procedure.
These include listening to the fetus’s heartbeat, having a 4D ultrasound scan, and getting psychological advice, in a bid to reduce the number of abortions.
These suggestions can be turned down by patients.
The new measures were presented Thursday by the regional government’s far-right vice president, Juan Garcia-Gallardo, whose Vox party is the junior coalition partner of Spain’s mainstream conservative Popular Party in Castile and Leon. Spain’s regional governments control public health policy at the regional level. In June, the country will face regional elections.
“We are going to offer every parent who wants to see it a real-time video to see the head, the hands, the feet, the fingers. Garcia-Gallardo stated that this includes all parts of the baby’s body.
This announcement was met with strong criticism from Spain’s left-leaning central government as well as the conservative head for the Madrid region.
Garcia-Gallardo insisted Friday that the measures would immediately enter into force in Castile and León, home to around 2,5 million of Spain’s 47 million inhabitants.
Carolina Darias, the Spanish Health Minister, stated that there would be no compromises in the area of abortion rights.
Most of the many women ministers in the central government rushed to condemn what they described as an attack on women’s rights — a main political banner for Spain’s left-wing governing coalition.
Isabel Díaz Ayuso, a leading conservative figure and head of the Madrid region, unexpectedly announced Friday a new helpline for pregnant women. “Women should be able to freely choose the information they wish to get,” she said.
Spain allows abortion up to the 14th week of pregnancy. Recently, several steps have been taken to increase abortion rights across the country.
The left-wing-controlled parliament passed a law last year to ban intimidation of women who enter abortion clinics. This was where anti-abortion groups used to often demonstrate to convince patients to change their mind. The country also dropped the requirement that 16-year-olds and 17-year olds consent to parental consent before terminating a pregnancies.
Although Catholicism is not Spain’s official religion, it still has a strong influence on a large portion of the population. The country, which has been strongly Catholic for centuries was ruled by Gen. Francisco Franco, a self-described national-Catholic regime. He was in charge of the country from 1935 to 1975.