Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez says his government will prevent women from receiving “misleading” information about abortion
Spain’s leftist government has pledged to enshrine the right to abortion in the country’s constitution. The move follows a dispute over the Madrid city council’s decision to promote information on “post-abortion syndrome” to women seeking to terminate their pregnancy.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Friday that his coalition government of Socialists and the hard left will bring a constitutional reform proposal to parliament, insisting that women’s rights will not be undermined by opposition parties.
He accused the conservative Popular Party (PP) of “merging with the far right” after PP councilors in Madrid backed a Vox party initiative obliging health centers to provide information to women considering abortion.
”With this government, there will be no backtracking on social rights,” Sanchez wrote on X, saying the reform will also amend existing laws to prevent pregnant women from receiving “misleading or anti-scientific information about abortion.” Constitutional change in Spain requires a three-fifths majority, meaning the Socialist-led coalition will need opposition support.
Madrid’s PP-led council approved the measure on Tuesday, requiring health services to warn women about post-abortion trauma. Vox claimed the condition can lead to drug use, suicidal thoughts, or cancer. The proposal drew backlash, with medical experts stressing that no scientific consensus exists. On Thursday, Madrid Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida acknowledged that the syndrome is not a recognized scientific category, and said women would not be forced to receive the information.
Abortion was decriminalized in Spain in 1985 in limited cases, and a 2010 reform allowed it up to 14 weeks. Last year, France became the first country in the world to enshrine abortion rights in its constitution.
The debate comes amid growing concerns about Europe’s demographic future, with Elon Musk recently warning that Europe could “die out” unless birth rates return to replacement levels of 2.1 children per woman. Some studies suggest that the long-term survival threshold is closer to 2.7 children.
According to recent data, Spain’s fertility rate is currently 1.41 births per woman – among the lowest in the EU. Europe as a whole also faces a steep decline, with nearly all countries reporting fertility below the replacement benchmark.
