Women in Spain, back to the past.

The Spanish government has used its absolute majority at the Spanish parliament to pass a restrictive law on abortion which was only supported by the ruling People's Party. It is a further regulation on this issue that overturns the previous law dated on 2010 which permitted the women to freely terminate their pregnancy before the 14th week of its term, including teenagers aged 16 to 18. Furthermore, it provided a legal framework for those women who wished to abort once the deadline had expired due to a medical reasons (in case of severe fetal malformation or risk of death for the would-be mother), which turned Spain into one of the most advanced coutries in the world on the issue. Moreover, the previous law fulfilled many of the recommendations issued by the Women's Health Organization on this practice.

With this modification, the government of Mariano Rajoy has been the first one to reverse the legalization of abortion in a democratic country: Spain will join Malta, Ireland, the U.K., Poland, Cyprus, Finland and Luxembourg as the few European countries that punish abortion except for some cases. As Rajoy and members of his cabinet have stated, their party carried the promise to abolish "free abortion" and priorize the right to live of the unborn children on their election manifesto. In addition, the new legal framework even leaves abortion under more restrictions than the law of 1985 which legalised it partially for the first time. Unlike that, the last one allows women to end their pregnancy only during the first 12 weeks in case of violation and before the 22th week in case of health risks for the would-be mother, but will not allow the right to abort in case of fetal malformation anymore. So the life of the fetus will prevail over his own health, preventing the eradication of serious malformations which suppose a huge risk for the newborn and a threat for his quality of life.

Although its purpose is to protect the right to live of the fetus, it will not actually be effective way to reduce abortions. Furthermore, the new law will force many women (especially the wealthiest ones) to travel abroad to do it in the same way that before the law of 1985 was approved. For those who cannot afford the trips to another country, the alternative will be more dangerous and will pose their lives under threat. In fact, clandestine abortions were not a strange phenomenon when aborting was illegal but the last resort for those with no more alternatives. Therefore, the dangers that a legal abortion could prevent will reappear and might become one of the main causes of death of pregnant women, as happens in other countries where it is punished. 

Despite the fact that women will not get any punishment for ending their pregnancy, the fact is that doctors from the medical centres where it is practised will risk to face lenghty prison terms because of their involvement in such interventions. Nevertheless, they will not have the right to decide over their own maternity anymore, as in every causes the woman will have to collect favorable reports to her abortion by two different doctors from two different medical institutions and will also have to provide a copy of the lawsuit she has filled in case of violation. 

To sum up, Spain has turned its back to a modern legislation which was an example on regularization of the abortion. By prohibiting it, the government has become women unable to decide over their own maternity whereas the clandestine interruption of pregnancy will increase the death toll amongst would-be mothers. The country, especially women, will be brought back to the past.