On Friday, October 3rd, Spain’s leftist government proposed anchoring the ‘right to abortion’ in the constitution following a move in Madrid to inform women about a so–called post–abortion syndrome.
The controversy erupted on Tuesday when Madrid city hall, controlled by the conservative Popular Party (PP), approved a proposal to require medical services to notify women seeking abortions about this reported medical condition. The proposal claimed that the syndrome could lead to alcohol and drug use, suicidal thoughts, and an increased risk of cancer.
Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Friday used X to accuse the PP of “deciding to merge with VOX” before announcing plans to submit a proposal to parliament to protect the right to abortion in the constitution.
Constitutional reform in Spain is difficult, demanding a three–fifths majority in parliament, which would require support from lawmakers from the conservative opposition.
France last year became the first country in the world to enshrine the right to terminate a pregnancy in its constitution—a move widely praised by radical feminists, though strongly contested by pro–life groups who warned it marked a dangerous precedent. For opponents of abortion, the French constitutional initiative could pose a complicated challenge across liberal Western Europe.
