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Are Italy's abortion rights under threat? The new law passed by Giorgia Meloni, explained
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  • Are Italy's abortion rights under threat? The new law passed by Giorgia Meloni, explained

Are Italy's abortion rights under threat? The new law passed by Giorgia Meloni, explained

FP Explainers • April 24, 2024, 13:20:50 IST
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Forty-six years after it was legalised, the issue of abortion in Italy has again ignited tensions all over this overwhelmingly Catholic country. Italy’s senate has approved a law allowing anti-abortion groups access to women considering ending their pregnancies

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Are Italy's abortion rights under threat? The new law passed by Giorgia Meloni, explained
People stage a protest on 'International Safe Abortion Day' to ask for more guarantees on the enforcement of the abortion law that they claim is seriously endangered by the high rate of doctors' conscientious objection in the country, in Rome on 28 September, 2022. File image/AP

Forty-six years after the legalisation of abortion in Italy, the issue has once again taken centre stage. The recent approval by the Italian Senate of a law granting anti-abortion groups access to counseling centers has reignited tensions surrounding reproductive rights in the predominantly Catholic country.

In a significant victory for Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni’s far-right-led government, the Senate passed the legislation on Tuesday. The law, tied to European Union COVID-19 recovery funds, allows regions to authorise groups “with a qualified experience supporting motherhood” to operate in public counseling centres frequented by women considering abortion.

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The amendment, sponsored by Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party, received a 95-68 vote in favour, securing its final approval.

What concerns have been raised?

Certain members of the medical community have raised doubts about the prudence of granting access to women considering the procedure to anti-abortion groups lacking medical qualifications.

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“Then you don’t understand how you want to involve in the counselling centres and also in the hospitals, because this is already happening in some regions, characters that you don’t know what qualification they have,” Euronews quoted Silvana Agatone, the president of the pro-choice association LAIGA.

“Certainly they haven’t studied, they haven’t passed examinations to go and talk to women about topics for which the counselling centre already has highly qualified figures to deal with them.”

What has the opposition said?

For supporters of the amendment, it aligns with the original intent of the 1978 law legalising abortion, known as Law 194, aimed at preventing the procedure and promoting motherhood.

However, the left-wing opposition views it as a regression in abortion rights, expressing concerns voiced since Meloni’s election in 2022.

Cecilia D’Elia, a Democratic Party senator, highlighted the opposition’s stance, stating, “The government should realise that they keep saying they absolutely do not want to boycott or touch Law 194, but the truth is that the right-wing opposes women’s reproductive autonomy, fears women’s choices regarding motherhood, sexuality, and abortion."

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Additionally, some figures within the opposition have voiced complaints that the bill was passed by circumventing the proper parliamentary process.

“We are forced to suffer this amendment that was decided by a part of this majority without a parliamentary debate, without any discussion, without allowing us to go deep into the topic,” said Democratic Party senator Beatrice Lorenzin.

Elly Schlein, head of Italy’s Democratic Party, called for tangible measures to ensure access to abortion services, including establishing a mandatory percentage of doctors willing to perform the procedure in public hospitals, “otherwise these rights remain on paper only.”

How has Meloni reacted?

Meloni, campaigning on a platform of “God, fatherland, and family,” insists on upholding the 1978 law while advocating for increased childbirth to address Italy’s declining birthrate.

Italy’s birthrate, among the lowest globally, has experienced a continuous decline over the past 15 years, reaching a historic low last year with only 379,000 babies born.

In response, Meloni’s conservative factions, bolstered by support from the Vatican, have launched a campaign aimed at boosting annual births to at least 500,000 by 2033. Demographers argue that this rate is essential to avert economic destabilisation caused by Italy’s increasingly elderly population.

Meloni has called the left-wing opposition to the proposed amendment “fake news,” recalling that Law 194 provides for measures to prevent abortions, which would include counselling pregnant women about alternatives. The amendment specifically allows anti-abortion groups, or groups “supporting motherhood,” to be among the volunteer groups that can work in the counseling centers.

“I think we have to guarantee a free choice,” Meloni said recently. “And to guarantee a free choice you have to have all information and opportunities available. And that’s what the Law 194 provides.”

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What does Italy’s current abortion law say?

Italy permits abortion on request within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for cases where a woman’s health or life is at risk. However, access to abortion services can be hindered by healthcare personnel registering as conscientious objectors, leading to challenges for women seeking the procedure.

How are trends in Europe vis-à-vis abortion?

While Italy grapples with renewed debates on abortion, developments across Europe showcase divergent trends. France enshrined the right to abortion in its constitution, while overwhelmingly Catholic Malta relaxed its strict abortion laws. Meanwhile, Polish lawmakers moved to lift a near-total ban on abortion.

Amidst the rising tensions surrounding abortion in Italy, contrasting developments in other parts of Europe have emerged. France celebrated International Women’s Day by enshrining the guaranteed right to abortion in its constitution. Similarly, overwhelmingly Catholic Malta voted to relax its stringent abortion laws last year. In Poland, lawmakers have advanced proposals to lift a near-total ban on abortion imposed by the previous right-wing government.

However, amidst these progressive shifts, concerns loom within Italy’s left-wing circles. There is apprehension that the country may follow the trajectory of the United States, where access to abortion is increasingly restricted following the US Supreme Court’s overturning of landmark legislation that once guaranteed nationwide access to abortion.

The debate surrounding abortion rights in Italy underscores the complex intersection of politics, religion, and reproductive autonomy, with far-reaching implications for women’s rights and healthcare in the country.

With inputs from agencies

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