Spain Bill to Expand Abortions Moves Ahead, Govt May Compromise on Teens
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
November 26, 2009
Madrid, Spain (LifeNews.com) — Legislation in the Spain parliament that would expand the nation’s laws allowing abortions has cleared another hurdle. Meanwhile, the government indicates it may compromise on the issue of parental notification for abortions for teenagers in order to win enough votes to pass it.
The cabinet of the Spain government, headed by President Rodriguez Zapatero, has proposed a bill that would expand abortions and legalize them up to the fourteenth week of pregnancy.
The measure has upset pro-life advocates, but the government made it worse by saying parental involvement won’t be allowed. That means teenagers between the ages of 16 and 18 who can get abortions will not have to either inform their parents about their abortion nor obtain their consent.
Today, he pro-abortion proposal was approved in its first stage as ruling party Socialist Party was joined by five smaller parties to back the abortion expansion on a narrow majority of 180 to 163.
The vote total was enough to stall any amendments from pro-life advocates supported by the Catholic Church and the Popular Party that could be used to severely weaken the bill.
The bill now moves to a parliamentary committee for further work.
Meanwhile, to help win support for the bill among MPs, Equality Minister Bibiana Aido told them that the government would negotiate on the part of the measure that forbids parental involvement.
According to CNN, she said she is "conscious of the intense debate this measure has generated [and] will try to find common ground among the different proposals."
As many as two million people participated in a massive march in Madrid in October to oppose the legislation.
Former Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar participated in the march. Actor Eduardo Verástegui, who starred in the movie “Bella” joined in the march as well.
Legal abortions in Spain have increased over the years, doubling from nearly 54,000 in 1998 to 112,000 in 2007.
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