Spain and Italy clash over abortion laws
By Laura Gozzi
Spain and Italy have clashed over a proposal by Italy’s ruling right-wing coalition to allow anti-abortion groups into abortion clinics.
The lower house of parliament in Rome is set to pass the bill on Thursday.
Spanish Equality Minister Ana Redondo weighed into the debate prompting a spat with Italy’s Giorgia Meloni.
Allowing the “organised harassment” of women in abortion clinics meant “undermining a right recognised by the law”, Ms Redondo declared on X.
“It is the strategy of the extreme right: to intimidate in order to row back on rights,” she added.
The Italian prime minister hit back at a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels.
“Several times I’ve listened to foreign ministers talk about internal Italian matters without knowing the full facts,” she told reporters. “Usually when people are ignorant about a certain topic they should at least have the good sense not to impart lessons on others.”
Abortion has been legal in Italy since 1978 during the first 90 days of pregnancy, under what has come to be known as Law 194.
