We have become accustomed to bad news from Europe. Abortion, progressive ideologies, and attacks on the family seem to be getting ever worse.
But now, at last, the tide may be turning.
France’s Emmanuel Macron has been obsessed with making abortion a human right in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, after having already incorporated it into France’s own Constitution. But in recent weeks the Netherlands–of all countries–has unexpectedly slammed the door on his initiative, which requires unanimity among all EU member states.
The Netherlands Stops Macron’s “Abortion Right”
The Netherlands is a “progressive” country that has adopted a host of very dark policies, such such as euthanasia and selective abortion after prenatal diagnosis.
But when a motion was presented to the Dutch Parliament on September 29 asking the government to cooperate with an effort to include a right to abortion both in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Dutch unexpectedly said no.
The motion was supported by the usual leftist parties: D66 (Democrats 66), SP (Socialists), VVD (Liberals), and GroenLinks-PvdA (Green-Social Democrats). But they were only able to cobble together 68 votes, short of the 76 needed for a majority of the 150 seats in the Chamber.
Not only did the majority reject the proposal to make abortion a “human right,” they went on the offensive. The Reformed Political Party (SGP), together with the Christian Union (CU) and Forum for Democracy (FvD), prepared a counter-motion. The motion calls on the Prime Minister to to actively oppose any attempt to enshrine abortion as a human right in European treaties.
This counter-motion is still pending a vote but, in any event, the door has been slammed in the face of those who wish to impose a false and unjust so-called “right” to abortion.
This does not mean that the Netherlands has become pro-life. During the same session, another motion, presented by SP, D66, and GroenLinks-PvdA, was approved, asking the government to include care for victims of sexual violence as a standard part of basic emergency services, incorporating among other measures so-called “abortion care.” Only the PVV, SGP, and CU parties voted against it; FvD was absent.
Two other motions, one to make reducing the number of abortions an explicit goal of Dutch foreign policy, and another to review the legal abortion period, were rejected by the Chamber. In short, the pro-life struggle continues, as those at the Dutch Center for Bioethical Reform (DCBR), the most active pro-life group in that parliament, well know.
Madrid Addresses Post-Abortion Syndrome
From Madrid, Spain, also comes good news. The VOX councilwoman in the Madrid City Council, Carla Toscano, succeeded in having city authorities require the dissemination of information about Post-Abortion Syndrome. Specifically, the approved text reads:
“That the city government team of the Madrid City Council, through the various relevant departments, shall provide information, mandatory, verbal and written, permanent and visible, about Post-Abortion Syndrome in the public service centers of Madrid Salud, Equality Spaces, Samur Social (emergency medical services), and social workers of the Madrid City Council, and that such information be included on the official websites of these agencies, and on posters and brochures in the mentioned areas.”
This is a fundamental step toward raising public awareness about the threat abortion poses to a woman’s mental health. The local progressive press has portrayed it as an unacceptable form of punishment for women, of course, but in fact, as the authors of the measure, the NGO ActúaFamilia, explain, it is simply a matter of informed consent.
Is the political left against transparency and freedom? Of course it is. The Ministry of Health has already launched a counterattack. Abortion promoters fear for their business, and do not want the downsides of their deadly procedure to be mentioned. And this comes despite the fact that, amidst a devastating demographic winter, Spain has already recorded 105,000 abortion deaths.
In any case, this is a positive first step by Spain’s capital city, and one that other cities may follow.
Slovakia Shields Itself Against Woke Ideology
But the good news doesn’t stop there. Slovakia has just approved a constitutional reform to protect itself against ideological colonization by Brussels. The reform rejects gender ideology, the imposition of abortion, and any other progressive policy coming from the European Union. It was passed by the required three-fifths majority in Parliament. From now on, Brussels will have a much harder time imposing “woke” ideology on this full EU member state, as doing so would violate Slovakia’s Constitution.
Slovakia has limited the EU’s encroachments by passing a constitutional amendment establishing the primacy of national law over EU law in matters of cultural identity, ethics, health, and education. The new amendment basically tells the EU, “Respect the autonomy of the Slovakian people, and stop with your absurd Leftist ideological impositions.”
EU bureaucrats have criticized the measure, of course, claiming that it restricts LGTBIQ+ rights and the autonomy of NGOs. That’s a gross exaggeration. The measure simply ensures that Slovak laws will take precedence over EU regulations in specific areas such as cultural identity, ethics, health, and education.
For example:
- Sexual education in schools can only be taught with explicit consent from a legal guardian.
- Gender is understood in binary terms: only male and female.
- Surrogacy is prohibited.
- Adoption is restricted to married heterosexual couples.
Regarding NGOs, the new law requires them to disclose their directors and donors, a basic condition of transparency and accountability. Why would this be a problem? Because the EU and foreign progressive donors want to set up front groups in Slovakia to lobby for leftist policies.
This reform was promoted by Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government, which described it as a response to the “progressive impositions” of the EU. “Slovakia is not for sale, and our traditions will not be diluted,” said the Prime Minister, appealing to “natural values.”
Natural values sound a lot like the natural law, which, of course, comes from God.
Slovakia is thus another obstacle to Macron’s plans to impose a false “human right” to abortion.
Conclusion
As we can see, Europe faces many challenges, but there are also reasons for hope, and for continuing the fight for a better society.
We in PRI’s European office will continue to fight on.
