Spain’s socialist government is pushing for regional “blacklists” of doctors who object to performing abortions, sparking backlash from medical and Catholic leaders. Source: Catholic Review.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is also attempting to enshrine abortion in the constitution, following France’s decision in March 2024.
Mr Sánchez sent a letter to the regional presidents of Asturias, Aragon, Madrid and the Balearic Islands — governed by conservative parties — urging them to launch a registry of conscientious objectors to abortion.
“No one can be forced to exercise their right to conscientious objection if they are not registered,” said José Antonio Díez , general coordinator of the National Association for the Defence of the Right to Conscientious Objection *ANDOC), told Alpha y Omega Catholic media.
“No matter what the prime minister says, the right to object is a constitutional right. Who can order private citizens to register in a registry that not even the Constitutional Court requires as a condition? From that point on, everything is just gimmicks and tricks,” Mr Díez said.
According to the Spanish newspaper ABC, a government-demanded registry is a list that all autonomous communities must maintain, including the names and surnames of all professionals who do not wish to do so due to conscientious objection even if “their specialty should be used to perform abortions”.
The prime minister threatened that if the lists are not available within three months, “the appropriate legal mechanisms will be activated to enforce their compliance”.
“Why don’t they create a list of doctors who want to perform abortions and euthanasia, which would be the most practical option? These registers of objectors they want to create are blacklists to professionally exclude doctors who want to exercise their right to conscientious objection,” Eva Martín, president of ANDOC, said, as cited by Alpha y Omega.
According to a new Spain-wide regulation, public clinics must guarantee abortions.
Mr Sánchez gave the regional governments concerned a deadline of three months to implement the law. “Respecting the conscience of medical professionals must never be an obstacle to women’s healthcare,” he argued.
Abortion rates are on the rise in Spain, with the country’s Health Ministry data for 2023 listing a total of 103,097 abortions, representing an increase of 4.8 per cent compared to the previous year, when 98,316 were performed, and an 8.7 per cent increase since 2014.
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Spanish government wants to create blacklists of doctors who refuse to perform abortions (Catholic Review)
