Listen: How religious power is still shaping abortion laws in some European countries

by Evi Kiorri, Brussels
December 22, 2025
Podcast – 20:30 minutes

Abortion remains illegal in Malta and highly restricted in Poland, despite ongoing pressure from European institutions to uphold reproductive rights.

In this episode of Europe Talks Back, we examine the historical and current influence of religious institutions on abortion policy across Europe, and the political forces maintaining these restrictions.

We are joined by Neil Datta, executive director and founder of the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, and Magdalena Chrzczonowicz, editor-in-chief of OKO.press and contributor to the cross-border investigation Exporting Abortion, who share insights on how restrictive laws impact women and how cross-border initiatives are working to protect access to safe abortion care.

Continued; https://euobserver.com/health-and-society/ar23b6aa4a

22.12.2025

Interviews/Podcasts

Europe Talks Back

European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights

Exporting Abortion

Magdalena Chrzczonowicz

Going abroad to get an abortion, a struggle for thousands of women in Europe

“Exporting Abortion”, a transnational investigation, reveals that more than 5,000 women in Europe have to travel abroad each year to access abortion services due to obstacles they face in exercising this right in their home country.

20 May 2025
Francesca Barca, Translated by Ciarán Lawless

On 24 April of this year the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) My Voice, My Choice came to a close. The initiative attracted around 1.2 million signatures: a remarkable success for an ECI – a mechanism that calls the European Commission to propose a legal act in an area where the member countries delegated powers to the EU, provided it collects enough signatures. The campaign demanded a financing mechanism to guarantee safe abortion care for all those without access to such services.

Current laws and practices, it seems, are far removed from what civil society knows to be the reality.

Continued: https://voxeurop.eu/en/abortion-abroad-struggle-women-europe/

Over 5,000 women in Europe have to travel abroad for abortions each year

Legal, bureaucratic and social obstacles are still faced by women, even if they live in countries where abortion is legalised.

7 Apr 2025

THOUSANDS OF WOMEN have to travel to neighbouring countries in Europe to access abortion care due to barriers faced at home.

A cross-border investigation, Exporting Abortion, exposes this stark statistic for the first time, following an extensive examination of data and personal testimonies across Europe.

Our analysis found that more than 5,000 women travel from their home countries every year due to the difficulties they face in accessing abortion care. In 2023, that number was at least 5,860.

Continued: https://www.thejournal.ie/investigates-exporting-abortion-europe-6666436-Apr2025/