The European Parliament wants abortion to be recognized as a fundamental right | NOW

The European Parliament wants the right to abortion to be included in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. The EU is concerned about developments in the United States, where a Supreme Court ruling allows states to decide for themselves whether or not to allow abortion.

According to MEPs, a similar situation threatens in some EU countries, where abortion is made virtually impossible. For example, they cite Poland, where the conservative government recently banned abortion. In the even more Catholic member state of Malta, termination of pregnancy is even prohibited.

Earlier this year, French President Emmanuel Macron also argued for including a right to abortion in the charter, which has more or less the legal force of a treaty. But that seems out of the question, because all Member States should accept it. The EU has no more say in the abortion policies of national governments.

MEPs also call on the European Commission to help aid organizations which are seeing the flow of money from the US dry up because it makes abortion possible elsewhere in the world.

The right wing of the European Parliament, including some Christian Democrats, unsuccessfully opposed the appeal. Christian Union MEP Peter van Dalen calls it “one of the most absurd resolutions on abortion” and “a black day for Europe”. Her D66 colleague, Samira Rafaela, meanwhile is proud of the call and urges the European Commission to act quickly.