Spain Proposes Constitutional Right to Abortion Amid Conservative Backlash

Spain’s Socialist-led government has announced plans to make abortion a constitutional right, following a political row sparked by Madrid city hall’s attempt to promote the notion of a so-called “post-abortion syndrome.”

The controversy erupted after the conservative Popular Party (PP), supported by the far-right, backed a proposal requiring health services to warn women that abortion could allegedly lead to substance abuse, suicidal thoughts, and cancer. The claims, however, were widely condemned as unscientific. Madrid’s PP mayor, Jose Luis Almeida, later admitted the syndrome is not a recognised medical condition and clarified that providing such information would not be mandatory.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez accused the PP of aligning with the far right and pledged to introduce legislation in parliament to enshrine abortion rights in the constitution. Achieving reform, however, will be difficult, as it requires a three-fifths parliamentary majority, including support from opposition lawmakers.

Spain legalised abortion in limited cases in 1985 and expanded the law in 2010 to allow abortion on demand within the first 14 weeks. Still, access remains uneven, with some doctors in public hospitals refusing to perform the procedure.

If successful, Spain would follow France, which in 2024 became the first country to constitutionally guarantee abortion rights.