Spain’s leftist government on Friday proposed anchoring the right to abortion in the constitution following a move by Madrid city hall to inform women about a supposed “post-abortion syndrome”.
The controversy erupted on Tuesday when Madrid city hall, controlled by the conservative Popular Party (PP) approved a far-right proposal to require medical services to notify women seeking abortions about this alleged syndrome.
The proposal claimed the syndrome could lead to alcohol and drug use, suicidal thoughts, and an increased risk of cancer.
It claimed information about the syndrome was being “deliberately hidden” and argued abortion is “big business” promoted by feminist ideology.
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The PP initially defended the measures but following an outcry Madrid’s PP mayor José Luis Almeida acknowledged Thursday that post-abortion syndrome is not a “recognised scientific category”.
He also said informing women about it would not be mandatory.
Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Friday accused the PP on X of “deciding to merge with the far right” and announced plans to submit a proposal to parliament to protect the right to abortion in the constitution.
Constitutional reform in Spain is difficult, requiring a three-fifths majority in parliament, which would require support from lawmakers from the conservative opposition.
Spain decriminalised abortion in 1985 in cases of rape, if a foetus is malformed, or if a birth poses a serious physical or psychological risk to the mother.
The scope of the law was broadened in 2010 to allow abortion on demand in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.
Even so, Spanish women still face obstacles, with many doctors in the public sector refusing to carry out the procedure.
France last year became the first country in the world to enshrine the right to terminate a pregnancy in its constitution.
