Spain – A Second-Class Right

Spain’s Proposal to Constitutionalise the Right to Abortion

21 April 2026
Rosario Grimà Algora

The Spanish Government has recently approved a project for a constitutional amendment to protect the right to a voluntary termination of pregnancy (abortion). This amendment would add a new paragraph to article 43, on the right to healthcare, to include the following text:

“Public authorities shall guarantee women’s right to voluntarily terminate their pregnancy under conditions of real and effective equality, with all the necessary provisions and services for that exercise.”1)

While the discussion of constitutional reform is welcome, the current amendment falls short of its promises.

Continued : https://verfassungsblog.de/spain-abortion-constitution/

Spanish government promotes abortion as a right

The Spanish Council of Ministers approves in second round the amendment of the Constitution to include abortion as a right.

Paloma López Campos
April 7, 2026

The Council of Ministers in Spain is moving towards constitutional reform, with the aim of protecting abortion as a right. On Tuesday, April 7, this body approved in the second round the modification of Article 43 of the Constitution. Constitution. This change implies the addition of a fourth paragraph to guarantee equal access to abortion in all regions of the country.

In order to carry out the reform, it is necessary that the Popular Party vote in favor of it. Should the proposal go ahead, Spain would become the second nation in the world to include the abortion as a right in its constitution. The first was France in 2024.

Continued: https://www.omnesmag.com/en/news/government-abortion-law-constitution-spain/

07.04.2026

News

enshrining abortion rights in constitution

Popular Party

Spanish Council of Ministers

Madrid introduces registry of doctors refusing abortions a new phase in abortion regulation

Madrid officials have begun discussions on establishing a registry for medical professionals who refuse to perform abortions. The new proposal has sparked debate among politicians and the public. The decision could impact access to healthcare services in the region.

Ricardo Rubio
April 2, 2026

The introduction of a registry for medical workers who refuse to perform abortions on ethical grounds could shift the balance between patient and doctor rights in Madrid. For residents of the region, this may mean changes in access to healthcare services and new regulations for hospitals. Authorities say the decision is aimed at complying with legislation and ensuring medical standards are met.

As El Pais notes, the Madrid government has published the draft document on a public consultation portal. This step allows not only experts but also ordinary citizens to share their views on the proposed regulation. Officials emphasize that transparency and consideration of diverse opinions will help prevent conflicts between medical staff and patients.

Continued: https://russpain.com/en/news-3/madrid-authorities-consider-registry-for-conscientious-objector-doctors-424961/

02.04.2026

News

anti-choice misogyny

anti-choice negligence

belief-based care denial

care denial

conscientious objection

Could a registry of doctors who refuse abortions improve access in Spain?

By Léa Marchal, Brussels
13 March 2026
Podcast – 6 minutes, with transcript

In Spain, abortion is back in the political and legal spotlight.

A court ruling has just ordered the city of Madrid to create a registry of conscientious objectors. These are doctors in the region who refuse to perform abortion procedures.

Continued: https://euobserver.com/206829/listen-could-a-registry-of-doctors-who-refuse-abortions-improve-access-in-spain/

13.03.2026

Interviews/Podcasts

belief-based care denial

conscientious objection

conscientious objectors

European Social Fund Plus

Isabel Díaz Ayuso

registry of conscientious objectors

Europe

Spain

Human Rights

Spain – The Supreme Court orders Ayuso to open the registry of abortion objectors

Justice backs the Ministry of Health's appeal and warns of the Madrid government's "passivity" in complying with the law

March 9, 2026

Barcelona – The High Court of Justice of Madrid has ordered the Community of Madrid to begin "immediately" the procedures for the creation of the registry of objectors for voluntary pregnancy interruptions, a list mandatory by law and approved by the Interterritorial Council (with the presence of all autonomous communities). The minutes of the eighth section of the contentious-administrative chamber of the court is a new step in the tug-of-war that the government of the popular Isabel Díaz Ayuso maintains with the ministry of Mónica García in resisting the creation of the registry of professionals who refuse to perform abortions. In fact, the judges support the precautionary measures requested by the ministry.

Continued: https://en.ara.cat/society/the-supreme-court-orders-ayuso-to-open-the-registry-of-abortion-objectors_1_5672878.html

09.03.2026

News

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conscientious objection

Isabel Díaz Ayuso

Mónica García

registry of objectors

Europe

Spain

Law

Abortions in Spain dropped 24% during strict COVID-19 lockdown, study finds

by Universitat Pompeu Fabra – Barcelona, edited by Robert Egan
Dec 15, 2025

Research involving Pompeu Fabra University has concluded that abortions in Spain fell by around 24% during the two months of strict lockdown due to COVID-19 in the spring of 2020. The study, conducted by the researchers Libertad González (UPF Department of Economics and Business and Barcelona School of Economics) and Karina Trommlerová (Institute of Public Policy of Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia), reveals that this reduction was not due to the closure of clinics or difficulties getting access to the health service, but to a decrease in unwanted pregnancies, especially among single women.

In "The Impact of COVID-19 on Abortions in Spain," recently published in the journal Population and Development Review, the two economists analyze the administrative data of all abortions carried out in Spain between 2016 and 2020. The results show that in addition to the notable decrease during the two months of lockdown (from mid-March to mid-May 2020), the number of abortions also remained below previous levels for several further months.

Continued; https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-abortions-spain-strict-covid-lockdown.html

15.12.2025

Pompeu Fabra University

Europe

Spain

Madrid Refuses to Create Registry of Doctors Who Refuse Abortions Despite Government Pressure

Regional authorities will not draw up lists of doctors opposing abortion: decisions left to the courts

Ricardo Rubio
Nov 15, 2025

The authorities of the Autonomous Community of Madrid have decided not to create a special registry of medical professionals who, for personal beliefs, are unwilling to perform abortions. This move comes in response to a requirement from the central government, which previously gave one month for the formation of such lists in several regions, including Madrid, Aragón, and the Balearic Islands.

The regional administration stated it does not intend to single out or label either patients or doctors involved in abortion procedures. According to Madrid government officials, such lists could infringe on the rights of both women and medical professionals, and risk undermining anonymity and freedom of choice.

Continued: https://russpain.com/en/news-3/madrid-refuses-to-create-abortion-objector-doctor-registry-despite-government-demands-326522/

15.11.2025

News

belief-based care denial

conscientious objection

list of objectors

registry of objectors

Pedro Sanchez is compiling a blacklist of anti-abortion doctors

15 October 2025
Mark Nayler

Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s Socialist prime minister, has demanded that the regions of Aragon, Asturias, the Balearic Islands and Madrid – most of which are governed by the Conservative People’s party (PP) – compile lists of doctors who refuse to perform pregnancy terminations. Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the PP president of Madrid, has refused to publish what she calls a ‘blacklist’. The move is part of Sanchez’s plan to make abortion a constitutional right, following the example set by France last year.

Abortion has been legal in Spain since 1985, and in 2010 the 12-week rule, which allowed women to receive pregnancy terminations without having to give a reason, was increased to 14 weeks.

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/pedro-sanchez-is-compiling-a-blacklist-of-anti-abortion-doctors/

15.10.2025

Commentary

Alberto Núñez Feijóo

Association of Accredited Abortion Clinics

conscientious objection

Isabel Díaz Ayuso

Madrid College of Physicians

Manuel Martínez-Sellés

The Spanish government’s first step toward “shielding” abortion in the Constitution

The Council of Ministers will formally request the Community of Madrid to prepare the register of objectors.
(translation from Spanish)

Ot Serra
14/10/2025

The Council of Ministers took the first step this Tuesday to ""shield" abortion in the Constitution.
As announced by Spanish President Pedro Sánchez in an interview on Cadena SER, the government will request a consultative report from the Council of State to amend Article 43 of the Constitution and incorporate this women's right. "Women's right to voluntary termination of pregnancy is guaranteed. The exercise of this right, in any case, will be guaranteed by the public authorities, which will ensure its provision under conditions of effective equality, as well as the protection of women's fundamental rights," the new Article 43.4 of the Constitution states. "We are taking a step towards the victory of women and the recognition of their rights in the face of the reactionary wave that seeks to curtail them," emphasized the Minister of Equality, Ana Redondo.

Continued: https://en.ara.cat/society/the-spanish-government-s-first-step-toward-protecting-abortion-in-the-constitution_1_5528230.html

14.10.2025

News

abortion law reform

Ana Redondo

conscientious objectors

Why Public Hospitals in Spain Rarely Perform Abortions: Surprising Figures and Facts

Spanish Regional Budgets Spent 150 Million Euros on Abortions in Private Clinics

Ricardo Rubio
Oct 11, 2025

Over the past five years, Spain’s autonomous communities have allocated at least 150 million euros to fund abortions in private medical centers. This measure was forced by the inability of public hospitals to handle the volume of such procedures. In 2024, more than 106,000 terminations of pregnancy were performed in the country, with only one fifth taking place in public facilities.

In some regions, such as Madrid and Andalusia, the share of abortions performed in public hospitals was minimal—less than one percent. In the capital region, more than 162,000 such procedures were registered over a decade, but only 177 were carried out in public clinics. This disparity is due not only to a lack of resources, but also because many doctors refuse to participate in such procedures on personal grounds.

Continued: https://russpain.com/en/news-3/spanish-regional-budgets-spent-150-million-euros-on-abortions-in-private-clinics-299916/

11.10.2025