Both Norway and Denmark on the path to liberalise abortion
Pro-life protest in Oslo. Photo Facebook, PRO-LIFE NORGE - OFFENTLIG GRUPPE
Northern Europe
In Norway and Denmark, the topic of abortion is hot again. Whereas the Norwegian government still struggles to push a liberalisation of the abortion law through, the Danish coalition found a compromise and expects a law change by June 2025.
In both countries, it goes about an extension from 12 weeks to 18 weeks. Norway planned to change its abortion law before the summer. However, the deadline for the bill changed to autumn. Apparently, it is not easy to change the abortion legislation.
In Denmark, the abortion law is 50 years old. Therefore, the government believed it was high time to change the legislation. Earlier this month, the coalition announced that it reached an agreement with four other parties about the liberalisation of the period in which abortion is allowed. Currently, this boundary is at 12 weeks of pregnancy, but the parties want to increase this to 18 weeks, Politico writes.
In addition, the proposal allows minors older than 15 to have an abortion without parental consent. It also abolishes regional abortion boards and replaces them with a national body to avoid regional differences.
Even though the Danish parliament still has to approve of the proposal, it is likely that the proposal will make its way through. The coalition parties have a majority in Parliament.
In sight
In neighbouring Norway, it does not go that fast. Already in 2021, politicians clashed about the update of the national abortion law. According to some, it was high time for the legislation to be updated. Three years later, a new law does not seem to be in sight quite yet.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who recently promised that the abortion law would be in before summer now withdrew his promise. "It is not realistic to get it adopted in the Storting before the summer", his Health Minister, Jan Christian Vestre, acknowledged, as reported by Dagen.
Actually, the original deadline for the proposal had already been exceeded, as it was at Easter. Vestre said that the government works hard to "make [the abortion proposal] as neat and proper as possible without rushing anything through."
Consultation
Currently, Norway's abortion law dates from 1978. It allows women to terminate their pregnancy up to twelve weeks. After that, women can only have an abortion after consultation with a special committee that has to give them permission to do so.
However, since 2021, there have been voices that call explicitly for a new law. Especially the liberal Venstre Party has done its best to extend the abortion period from twelve to eighteen weeks. In addition, the party would love to see the right to abortion included in the Norwegian constitution. The Venstre Party submitted a proposal for liberalisation of the abortion law in March 2022.
In response, the Norwegian government appointed a special committee to review the current abortion law and study which alternatives were possible.
An attempt to push a law through before the results of the committee were presented was stranded because the Labour Party, the biggest party in Norway, rejected it. It wanted to wait for the results of the review first.
Just before the turn to 2023, the committee presented its results. In line with the wish of the Venstre Party, the committee suggests that abortion should be allowed up to the 18th week of pregnancy. However, the government should also include the right to guidance and follow-up support in the abortion law and add a conscience clause so that doctors can opt out of carrying out an abortion, CNE wrote earlier.
In addition, the report writes that five to ten new abortion boards should be created to ensure that all abortions beyond the set term of 18 weeks are legal. These boards must then consist of a doctor, a lawyer and a member with medical or healthcare expertise.
Survey
However, it is not that easy to change the abortion law as opinions on it differ greatly. Even the special committee was unable to present a unanimous statement. Two of the thirteen members did not agree to the advice that was published. One of them, Morten Magelssen said to Dagen that the protection of unborn children should be strengthened instead of weakened.
A survey in April showed that about half of the Norwegian population wants to increase the term in which abortion is allowed, NRK writes. Of the 1,021 respondents, 49 per cent agreed that the limit for self-determined abortion should increase to 18 weeks. About 20 per cent do not have an opinion, and 30 per cent are satisfied with the current abortion limit. Of people aged between 18 and 39, most respondents are in favour of a longer period in which abortion is allowed.
Support
Also, within the Norwegian government, there is no consensus about what the new abortion law should look like, Ingvil Kjerkol said in an earlier interview with VG. As she was health minister until last April, she was closely involved in the process of making a draft law.
In 2022, CNE reported that the division between proponents and opponents of liberalisation of the abortion law is about fifty-fifty. In total, 80 representatives of the Norwegian Parliament belong to parties that support an extension to 18 weeks. However, as the total number of seats is 169, five more votes are necessary to pass the law. This support could, for example, come from members of the Conservative Party and the Progress Party (FRP), CNE wrote at the time. When it comes to ethical issues, MPs can vote according to their own conscience.
Not everyone regrets the postponement of the presentation of an abortion proposal. Christian Democratic leader Olaug Bollestad even says to be happy about the delay. "I am glad that the government cancels an urgent treatment of the abortion law."
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