2024-08-14 03:43:45
Should abortions be legal? Experts believe this is appropriate, but the traffic light coalition has been cautious so far. But now the debate could start to move.
The SPD and the Greens in the Bundestag are continuing to work on legalizing abortions in Germany during this legislative period. “It is time to end the criminalization of women and doctors,” says Carmen Wegge, the SPD’s legal affairs expert, to t-online. “It would be great if we could tackle the project from the traffic light coalition and use the progressive parliamentary majority on the issue.”
The Greens see it the same way. “Liberalization of abortion is long overdue in Germany,” says the Greens’ spokesperson for women’s policy, Ulle Schauws, to t-online. “We Greens want a legal change to decriminalize and liberalize abortion to be passed during this legislative period.” According to surveys, a clear majority in Germany see it the same way.
However, the FDP remains skeptical when it comes to an initiative by the traffic light coalition.
Up to now, abortions have been illegal in Germany under Paragraph 218. However, they remain exempt from punishment for pregnant women if they have received counseling and the abortions are carried out within the first twelve weeks after conception.
In its coalition agreement, the traffic light coalition agreed to strengthen women’s right to self-determination and also stated that free abortions were part of reliable health care. However, there is no explicit reference to Paragraph 218.
In April, after a year of deliberations, the final report of an expert commission on the subject was published. The researchers concluded that the fundamental illegality of an abortion “in the early phase of pregnancy is not tenable.” This usually means the first twelve weeks of pregnancy.
From the point at which a baby can survive outside the womb, however, abortion must remain prohibited, according to the experts. In between, the legislature has “a great deal of leeway”. The experts’ demand: The government must take action.
However, after the publication of the more than 600-page report, the traffic light coalition initially put the brakes on. Family Minister Lisa Paus (Greens) described the commission’s recommendations as a “good basis for the open and fact-based discourse that is now necessary.” Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) stressed that in the end there would need to be a broad social and parliamentary consensus.
Marco Buschmann (FDP), the justice minister responsible for changing criminal law, immediately referred any legislative initiatives to parliament and was particularly skeptical. “What we don’t need are debates that set society on fire or even divide it,” said Buschmann.
In June, the SPD parliamentary group attempted to revive the debate with a position paper. In it, the Social Democrats not only advocated decriminalization, which could possibly apply for a longer period than twelve weeks, but also advocated converting the obligation to seek advice into a right to advice.
The FDP thinks this is going too fast. The SPD is free to formulate a position within the parliamentary group, says the responsible deputy parliamentary group leader Gyde Jensen to t-online. “However, this does not result in any pressure or automatism for the coalition to act.”
Jensen stresses: “Although the expert commission’s report makes a clear recommendation, the social debate about Paragraph 218 remains difficult.” There are heated debates in many countries about where a more restrictive or more liberal regulation could lead. “For us Free Democrats, the question is: Why should we consciously risk giving up a stable social consensus that has lasted for decades and various majorities, now and without any need?”