Malta is the only EU country that bans abortion in all cases and is no exception for situations where a woman`s life is in danger. However, the law is not strictly enforced in cases where pregnancy endangers the woman`s life. [3] Abortions on demand during the first 12 weeks were enacted by the GDR in 1972. West Germany followed in 1974, but the Federal Constitutional Court declared the law unconstitutional because it violated the right to life of the unborn child. A new law in 1976 allowed abortion only if the woman was physically or psychologically in danger; if the child is born with a severe disability; whether the pregnancy would cause serious social problems for the woman (e.g. poverty) or whether the pregnancy was the result of sexual violence. There were no abortions on request. The current rules, which grant the right to non-medical abortion upon request, were promulgated in 1993. [Citation needed] This is simply false – as is the claim by Senator Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) and other lawmakers that by introducing a 15-week federal ban on most abortions, the United States would be aligning itself with Europe.
Even more problematic is the underlying claim that the new bans and restrictions on access to abortion are closely linked to a European approach to abortion. This is very dishonest. Although these countries set a schedule for the first trimester for elective abortion, they all allow abortion after that for other reasons. For example, laws in Denmark and Norway allow abortion for social, economic or family reasons until the viability of the fetus (the definition of which is not specified). German law allows abortion due to a serious health risk during pregnancy and explicitly states that this covers both physical and mental health. The argument that Europe generally has more restrictive abortion laws is misleading at best. But by obscuring the water, the GOP apparatchiks hope to cushion the political consequences of Roe`s death, rejecting the observation that the new bans are both harsher than what preceded Roe and will require an incredibly invasive system of government surveillance, coercion, and punishment. To say that U.S.
abortion laws will simply resemble those in Europe, according to Dobbs, is to cast a veil of normalcy on the plans of a post-Roe world that will severely restrict fundamental freedoms of speech, movement and association. But whatever that future is, it will not look like today`s Europe. It will be much worse. In support of calls for a 15-week abortion ban – with exceptions only for very restrictive exceptions covering only situations of physical risk to a patient`s life and pregnancy due to rape or incest – United States Lawmakers specifically referred to six European countries (Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway and Spain) and falsely stated that: that such a ban in the United States would be similar to the policy of these countries. The abortion debate was put back in the spotlight this week after it was reported that the U.S. Supreme Court was planning to cross the Roe v. The Wade decision, which legalized abortion across the country in 1973, according to an early draft of a majority opinion written by Judge Samuel Alito and obtained by POLITICO. In addition, unlike the United States, many of these countries include abortion in national health insurance, as do most other countries in Northern and Western Europe, meaning that patients do not have to fund the cost of abortion care themselves.
Some countries, such as Denmark, allow abortion after the first trimester for a variety of reasons, including socio-economic, but a woman needs a permit to have such an abortion. Read: The strictest abortion restrictions are yet to come Ruth Marcus: Graham`s 15-week abortion ban reveals the end of the game In countries where abortion is illegal or restricted, it`s common for women to travel to neighboring countries with more liberal laws. In 2007, it was estimated that more than 6,000 Irish women travelled to the UK each year for abortions. [9] But in general, the trend is clearly towards wider access to abortion and a reduction in restrictions. Seen in this light, the claim that new restrictions in the United States are being reconciled with a European approach is not only false, it is unfathomable. In the past, before 2010, criminal law criminalized abortions abroad if the woman resided in Liechtenstein, and the abortion did not comply with Liechtenstein regulations. [22] Abortion is legal in almost all European countries, although there are large differences in the restrictions under which it is allowed. Although almost all European countries provide abortions on demand during the first trimester, there are very few for subsequent abortions with laws as liberal as those in the United States. Restrictions on abortion are more severe in countries that adhere more closely to the Catholic faith. Access to abortion in much of Europe depends not so much on the letter of the law as on the prevailing social views that lead to the interpretation of the laws. In much of Europe, laws allowing abortion in the second trimester due to mental problems (assuming that a woman`s mental health would suffer from the continuation of the pregnancy) have been interpreted very generously, while in some regions it is difficult to perform a legal abortion, even in the early stages of pregnancy, because of the conscientious objection of doctors. who refuse to perform abortions against their personal moral or religious beliefs.
[9] Apart from the very few European countries that maintain highly restrictive abortion laws – Andorra, Lichtenstein, Malta, Monaco and Poland – no other European country bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Instead, almost all European countries allow abortion during pregnancy for a number of reasons, including when there are risks to a patient`s physical or mental health, and in situations where severe or fatal fetal impairment occurs. Although abortion is legal in most parts of Europe, the laws in our region are not perfect. Barriers to entry, such as procedural requirements and eligibility rules for third parties, still exist in many countries, and there is still much to be improved in all areas. Declines occurred in a small number of countries such as Poland and Hungary. In the five countries where abortion laws are very restrictive, people`s lives and health are threatened every day by these laws. Elective abortion is just one of the reasons why abortion is legal in most parts of Europe, and timelines vary from country to country. After these deadlines expire, abortion almost always remains legal for a much longer period of time for other reasons, such as socio-economic or general health reasons, or for reasons of severe or fatal deficiency of the fetus. Pamela Druckerman: Where France disagrees on abortion, Mississippi Republican Governor Tate Reeves made that claim in 2021 ahead of the pleadings in Dobbs v.