The Spanish government has approved a proposal to include the right to abortion in the Constitution, with the aim of guaranteeing access to it through the public health system throughout the country, Spanish news agency EFE reported, BTA reported.
However, the measure could face significant obstacles as it requires broad parliamentary support.
The reform must secure a three-fifths majority in both chambers of parliament, making support from the main opposition Popular Party essential. The Conservative Party had already expressed its opposition to the proposal when it was tabled last year.
The initiative, led by the government of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, seeks to protect the right to voluntary termination of pregnancy within the public health system and ensure that it is accessible under appropriate medical conditions throughout the country.
The move follows the example of France, which in March 2024 became the first country to explicitly include the right to abortion in its Constitution.
The Spanish Council of Ministers has now approved the bill to amend Article 43 of the Constitution after receiving a positive opinion from the Council of State (the highest advisory body of the Spanish government, ed.), which deemed the proposal constitutional.
Government spokeswoman Elma Sais said the reform contributes to the social and legal recognition of women's right to self-determination and aims to protect it from “regressive dynamics“.
Equality Minister Ana Redondo said that while women's legal rights were not under threat, access to them remained uneven across Spain. She noted that 79% of abortion procedures were carried out in private clinics, compared to around 20% in public facilities.
The proposed amendment would add a clause that states that public authorities must guarantee women's right to abortion under conditions of real and effective equality, including the provision of all necessary services.