Christian Democrats support controversial move to expand abortion rights in Sweden
A clinic escort accompanies a woman into an abortion clinic. The escorts have been appointed to ensure that women have free access to aboriton are not hindered by pro-life activists who try to change their mind on terminating their pregnancy. Photo AFP, Angela Weiss
Northern Europe
Sweden’s government is looking to enshrine abortion into its consitution. Surprisingly, the Christian Democrats in the country are in favour of this move.
According to an editorial report from theologian Stefan Gustavsson in Varlden idag, four of the nation’s parties have agreed to make abortion a consitututional right in Sweden. The parties have also consented to stand behind the Tidö Agreement, which is an existing agreement that guarantees the right to an abortion. Since the 2022 election campaign, proposals to protect and expand abortion rights have gained traction throughout the country.
Unsafe abortions
As reported in another Varlden idag article, supporters of the proposals cite examples such as the United States. Last year, the US Supreme Court overturned the landmark ruling, Roe vs. Wade, which secured abortion rights at the national level. As in the case of Sweden, Tidö supporters have mentioned that thousands of women die each year from “unsafe abortions.”
“In Europe, several countries have adopted restrictive abortion laws and these restrictions have had terrible consequences, among other things, women have died in illegal abortions,” they said in Expressen, which was cited by Varlden idag.
Expansion
One party that has continued to stand by the expansion is the Christian Democrats (KD). Although their party platform site vows to protect life from beginning to end, it has now joined the ranks of the Tidö delegation.
At the moment, the Swedish KD has accepted the present abortion legislation from 1974 as being reality. The party is no longer fighting for banning abortion, as it did in the past.
Within the Swedish Christian Democrats, the issue of abortion seems to be toxic. This weekend, Dagen published an article about former MEP Lars Adaktusson. He once was a rising star in the party.
But in connection with abortion, he represented the traditional party position in the European Parliament.
Debate article
The new position of the Swedish KD has angered many Christians around the nation. As reported in Dagen, approximately 32 Christian leaders wrote a “debate article” that unified their support in having abortion stay out of the constitution. Among the supporters is Ulf Ekman, who is founder of Lifeets ord and a practising Catholic. Ekman wrote a Tweet in response to the KD’s lack of committment in protecting the unborn.
“If the right to abortion is to be protected by the constitution through the Tidö parties, then KD definitely betrays the rights of the unborn child. It is the right to life that must be enshrined in the constitution according to the KD,” he said which was also published in Dagen.
Amendments
Others who oppose the expansions have found little political backing. According to Stefan Gustavsson, the amendments are unnecessary, as existing laws already protect abortion rights.
“The claim that there is a need to strengthen abortion rights in Sweden sounds false. All parties in the Riksdag support the right to abortion, all major media houses in Sweden are willing to launch a drive at any time against anyone who questions – or is even suspected of questioning – the status quo on the abortion issue, and it is only around 5 percent of the population who wish for a more restrictive abortion law,” he said in his editorial.
According to current abortion laws, a woman can terminate a pregnancy up to 18 weeks. However, it can be up to 21 weeks in some cases.
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