Political battle over abortion rights in Spain

On Thursday, Vox's vice president of the Castilla y León region, Juan García-Gallardo, unveiled an initiative which would make it obligatory for clinics to offer women the chance to listen to their unborn baby's heartbeat or see a scan before proceeding with a termination. This reports the Irish Times. This is similar to measures recently introduced in Hungary.

However, its sole coalition partner, the Christian Democratic Partido Popular (PP), distanced itself quickly from the initiative immediately after Garcia-Gallardo unveiled his plans. Only hours after García-Gallardo stated that doctors would be obliged to offer women new possibilities, the regional President, Alfonso Fernández Mañueco (PP), stated that the current legislation would remain in place.

However, in an interview on Tuesday, the national Secretary General of Vox, Ignacio Garriga, threatened to break the coalition government in Castilla y León if the PP does not comply with the agreement. "We will demand that the agreement be fulfilled. We will not take a step back with what was agreed", Garriga asserted. "The Minister of Health (of the PP, ed.) will issue the order in the next few hours."

Incompetence

In Madrid, the Council of Ministers agreed to send an official letter to the region. In it, the Madrid government states that it would be a case of incompetence when the regional government adopts "any actions that violate or undermine the law on sexual and reproductive health and the voluntary interruption of pregnancy. "

The Government of Alfonso Fernández Mañueco and Juan García-Gallardo has a month to reply. In case of not doing so, the usual thing after this requirement is the presentation of a conflict of competencies before the Constitutional Court, whose mere admission supposes the automatic suspension for six months of the appealed regional norm. This reports El Pais.

Earlier, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, a socialist, said he was ready to intervene. "The government will take the necessary action to prevent non-compliance of the current law and setbacks in women's rights."