The situation in Belgium regarding abortion is similar to that of France, with opponents of abortion being more openly once morest it. The Flemish Interest party, including Tom Van Grieken, is pro-life, except in cases of rape or danger to the woman’s health. The N-VA position is close to that of the French RN, and they believe the law should remain as it is without any changes. The CD&V has historically been reluctant to decriminalize abortion and extend the period of 12 to 18 weeks. The party first proposed a counter-law in 1989, stating that abortion is infanticide when performed on a medically viable fetus. Since then, the Flemish Christian Democrats have used various political means to avoid voting on the issue. However, a committee of experts recently decided in favor of decriminalization, the extension to 18 weeks, and the constitutionalization of abortion. The current president of the CD&V, Sammy Mahdi, may take a different position than his predecessor Joachim Coens, who blocked discussions on the composition of a federal government in 2020. The full conclusions of the expert committee will be presented soon in the House as part of the national commission for the evaluation of termination of pregnancy.
In Belgium, the situation is in certain respects similar to that of France, THE opponents of abortion exist but in a more open way. THE Flemish Interest the Tom Van Greeks East “pro-life” (note: once morest abortion), except in cases of rape or danger to the woman’s health (as is currently the case in Poland).
The N-VAelle, with close of the position of French RN: for the Flemish Nationalist Party, the law must remain as it is, without evolution and without constitutionalization.
For his part, thehe CD&V has never concealed its historical reluctance, first with regard to the decriminalization of abortion but also later on the subject of the extension of the period of 12 at 18 weeks. Already in 1989, when the first version of the law decriminalizing abortionthe ancestor of the CD&V, the CVP, was at the origin of a counter-proposal of law concerning abortion in which it was stipulated that “abortion is considered infanticide when performed on a fetus that is medically viable outside the mother’s body“.
Since 1990, between referral to the Council of State and threats to leave the formation of a government, thehe Flemish Christian Democrats have repeatedly used political means to postpone or avoid votes in Parliament on the issue.
New debates soon in the House
More recently, thehe Christian Democrats, supported by the N-VA and the Vlaams Belang were awaiting the conclusions of a committee of experts before bringing the debate on the conditions of abortion in Belgium back to the Chamber. It is now done, the committee decided on Friday, March 10. His conclusions are clear : he is in favor of decriminalization, the extension to 18 weeks, the abolition of the six-day reflection period and the constitutionalization of abortion.
It now remains to be seen whether the current president of the CD&V, Sammy Mahdi, will position himself differently than his predecessor Joachim Coens, who notably blocked discussions on the composition of a federal government in 2020, asking for guarantees from the MR not to return to elongation of possible time to perform an abortion, from 12 to 18 weeks of pregnancy.
The full conclusions of the expert committee should be coming soon to the House as part of the national commission for the evaluation of termination of pregnancy.
The debate over abortion in Belgium has been ongoing for decades, with various political parties taking different stances on the issue. The recent conclusions of an expert committee in favor of decriminalization, extension of the abortion period to 18 weeks, and constitutionalization of abortion, may mark a turning point in the country’s long-standing debate. However, it remains to be seen how the current president of the CD&V, Sammy Mahdi, will position himself on the issue. The full conclusions of the expert committee will soon be presented to the House as part of the national commission for the evaluation of termination of pregnancy.
