Spain Moves to Make Abortion a Constitutional Right
Spain’s left-wing government has announced plans to enshrine the right to abortion in the country’s Constitution, reinforcing women’s freedom and bodily autonomy at a time when conservative forces are attempting to undermine reproductive rights.
The proposal, announced by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on October 3, 2025, aims to include the right to voluntary pregnancy termination (IVG) in Spain’s Constitution — a step Sánchez called essential to “guarantee the freedom and autonomy of women.”
The initiative comes in response to a controversial move by Madrid City Hall, governed by the conservative Popular Party (PP), which recently approved a far-right (Vox) proposal requiring medical services to inform women seeking abortions about an alleged “post-abortion syndrome.” The concept, linked to depression, substance use, or even cancer, has no scientific recognition, and was later disavowed by Madrid’s PP mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, who confirmed that such information would not be mandatory.
Even so, the measure sparked intense political debate. Sánchez accused the PP of “merging with the far right” and reaffirmed that his government “will not take a step back on women’s rights.”
A Difficult Path to Reform
Abortion has been legal in Spain since 2010, allowing termination on demand up to the 14th week of pregnancy. Earlier laws dating back to 1985 permitted abortion only in cases of rape, fetal malformation, or serious health risks to the mother.
However, to amend the Constitution, the proposal requires a three-fifths majority in Parliament — a challenging goal, given the PP’s stated opposition. Despite this, Sánchez’s government remains determined to pursue the reform, noting that the Constitutional Court already recognized abortion as a fundamental right of women in 2023.
If the reform succeeds, Spain would become the second country in the world, after France in 2024, to constitutionally protect the right to abortion — a powerful message of progress for Europe and a reaffirmation that women’s rights are human rights.
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