The Spanish State is “importing foreign crime, releasing rapists, and turning hospitals into assisted death centers,” Spain’s opposition right-wing Vox party has claimed, as the country’s left-wing government moves to enshrine abortion as a constitutional right.
As reported by Spanish state broadcaster RTVE this week, the Socialist-led government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has approved a constitutional reform proposal to include abortion within Article 43, which deals with the right to health protection.
Equality Minister Ana Redondo said the move would guard against “regressive dynamics” and marked an “important day for Spanish democracy.”
The proposed amendment would guarantee access to abortion “under conditions of real and effective equality” across Spain, with the government requiring a three-fifths majority in both the Congress and Senate for it to pass.
Redondo said the reform is aimed at ensuring consistent access to abortion services through the public health system, pointing to regional disparities and the current reliance on private clinics.
She noted that nearly 80% of abortions in Spain are carried out in private clinics, often through public referrals, and said this should be addressed to ensure equal access nationwide.
The Minister also criticised regions such as Madrid and Andalusia, where abortions in public facilities account for less than 1% of cases.
“Women should not be treated as first- or second-class citizens based on where they live,” she said.
“There is a social consensus of 80% among the citizenry regarding abortion rights.”
Redondo added that the reform would place Spain among a small number of countries, including France, to constitutionally protect abortion, describing it as part of a broader expansion of legal protections for women.
However, the proposal has prompted strong opposition from conservative figures within the country, including the right-wing Vox party, which has positioned itself firmly against social issues like abortion and euthanasia.
Vox leader Santiago Abascal accused the Sánchez government of advancing policies that he said undermine the value of human life.
“That is what the Sánchez Government offers: death, pain, and misery,” Abascal said.
He argued that the proposed reform reflects a broader direction in Spanish policy, linking it to other controversial issues such as assisted dying and immigration.
“Sánchez’s Spain is a horror movie,” he said, referring to a widely reported case in Spain involving a young woman known as Noelia.
This woman had previously been the victim of a serious sexual assault and later died through euthanasia – a practice which is legal in Spain under certain conditions. The case has been cited by critics of the government’s social policies as an example of what they see as a failure to provide adequate support to vulnerable individuals.
Vox Secretary General Ignacio Garriga also criticised the constitutional reform, arguing that women facing crisis pregnancies should be offered alternatives rather than abortion.
“What strengthening of democracy and rights is there in pushing a woman with fear and doubts to end the life she is gestating inside her,” Garriga said.
“Instead of offering her information, support, and alternatives?”
He claimed that the government’s approach places insufficient emphasis on support structures for mothers and unborn children, and linked the reform to wider concerns about public safety and social policy.
“Importing foreign crime, releasing rapists, and turning hospitals into assisted death centers,” Garriga said.
“The PSOE is the greatest threat to the security and integrity of Spaniards.”
The PSOE is Spain’s main leftwing governing party, led by Sánchez, and has been responsible for a number of recent social policy reforms, including the legalisation of euthanasia in 2021.
The government’s proposal will now proceed through the constitutional amendment process, where it will require support from opposition parties to secure the necessary majority.
Spain recorded more than 106,000 abortions in 2024, according to figures from its Ministry of Health, with the majority carried out in private clinics.
Abortion is currently legal on request up to a specified stage of pregnancy, with later procedures permitted under certain conditions, while euthanasia under certain conditions is also legal.