Image: During a debate on abortion in the Bundestag, Berlin, 5 December 2024.
by Liesa Johannssen / Reuters
A bill that would legalize abortion will be debated in Germany’s parliament
Green and Social Democrat MPs have introduced a bill that would legalize abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy in Germany.
The abortion law is currently referred to as “Paragraph 218”. It says: “Whosoever terminates a pregnancy shall be liable to imprisonment not exceeding three years or a fine.” However, a group of MPs has begun efforts to decriminalize abortion, hoping to take advantage of a brief parliamentary window created by the collapse of the current coalition on 6 November, ahead of the federal election on 23 February 2025 for a new Bundestag.
Abortion is illegal in Germany, although in practice it is not prosecuted if carried out within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy after a medical consultation. However, a woman seeking to terminate a pregnancy must first receive compulsory counselling, followed by a three-day waiting period and many doctors say the process can be complicated as well as traumatic.
However, a woman seeking to terminate a pregnancy must first receive compulsory counselling, followed by a three-day waiting period and many doctors say the process can be complicated as well as traumatic.
Supported by no fewer than 328 MPs from several parliamentary groups, the proposed law aims to legalize abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy and make it possible beyond that in cases of specific medical issues. It would also make the procedure reimbursable, while still requiring medical approval.
The MPs behind the bill, Social Democrat Carmen Wegge and Green Party member Ulle Schauws argue that criminalizing abortion deters doctors, with fewer and fewer willing to provide them. This threatens women’s access to the procedure. “Criminal law not only leads to the stigmatization of women and doctors, it also has dramatic consequences for the healthcare situation in this country,” said SPD politician Wegge during a debate in the Bundestag on December 5.
SOURCE: Le Monde, by Else Conesa, 1 December 2024. Article continues for subscribers only.
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German campaigners demand abortion be fully legalized
Image: Thousands of protesters gathered in Berlin on 7 December to demand the full legalisation of abortion in Germany ©Tobias Schwarz/AFP
German campaigners are pushing for reform to remove legal hurdles for women seeking an abortion, with emotions running high on the issue as the country heads for early elections.
Campaigners are urging for abortion to be fully legalised before snap elections in February, with the conservative opposition — which is against changing the law — expected to lead the next government. The issue was debated in parliament this week and several thousand protesters took to the streets of Berlin and Karlsruhe on Saturday to demand full legalisation.
According to a survey commissioned by the families ministry, 80% of Germans believe it is wrong that abortion is formally illegal.
In a reform in 2022, parliament voted to remove a Nazi-era law that limited the information doctors and clinics are allowed to provide about abortions. But many doctors say the subject still carries a stigma in Germany and can feel like an obstacle course for patients, particularly in Bavaria.
Leonie Kuehn, a doctor taking part in the Berlin demo, said there were still “extreme hurdles for us as doctors to perform abortions”. “All of this would be a bit easier if at least the criminalisation were repealed. It would be a small step in the right direction,” she said.
In April, a commission set up by Scholz’s government recommended making abortion fully legal up to 12 weeks. Liane Woerner, a law professor and member of the commission, said the current situation was “untenable” and urged the government to “take action to make abortion legal and unpunishable”.
But with just days to go before Scholz officially subjects himself to a confidence vote, paving the way for new elections, protesters are running out of time. “Members of the Bundestag have a historic opportunity to legalise abortion before the next election,” said Leonie Weber from campaign group “Legalise Abortion — Now!. We cannot allow conservative and right-wing forces to prevent this… We are the majority and we want legalisation.”
SOURCES: France24, AFP Berlin. 7 December 2024. ; Citizen Tribune, by Femke Colborne, 7 December 2024.