If approved, Spain would become one of the few countries in the world to enshrine abortion rights in its constitution
BY FRANCESCA RAPISARDA
Spain’s left-leaning government has formally proposed amending the Constitution to guarantee the right to abortion, aiming to protect women’s reproductive freedoms against what it views as rising threats from conservative parties.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the initiative on 3 October 2025, stating that the reform would protect abortion rights from future legislative rollbacks and ensure that women are provided scientifically accurate information about abortion in line with international health standards.
If approved, Spain would join France (which amended its constitution in 2024) as one of the very few countries to explicitly protect abortion rights in its constitution.
What the Proposal Includes
- Constitutional amendment to establish women’s right to voluntary termination of pregnancy as a constitutional guarantee.
- Reform of Royal Decree 825/2010, to prevent the provision of misleading or non-scientific information, such as claims about “post-abortion syndrome,” which lack backing in the medical community.
- Ensuring consistency in abortion access across Spain’s autonomous regions. Government statements emphasise concerns about disparities in how abortion services are delivered.
The reform requires a qualified majority in both houses of Spain’s parliament, specifically, a three-fifths majority. That means Sánchez’s government will need support from the opposition, notably the conservative People’s Party (PP).
The PP has rejected the proposal so far, labeling it unnecessary since abortion is already legal under existing laws, and criticising the government’s move as politically driven.
Spain decriminalised abortion in 1985 under restricted conditions; in 2010, the law was expanded to allow abortion on request up to the 14th week of pregnancy and later in cases of risk to the woman or fetal anomalies.
You might enjoy more articles Here/
