MEPs urged Malta to repeal its laws that ban and restrict abortion Agenzia di stampa Italpress - Italpress

Source: Italpress
Author: Tino Redaelli

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) - While the European Parliament has voted to enshrine the right to abortion in the EU Charter of Fundamental rights with 336 votes in favour, 163 against and 39 abstentions, the text of the adopted resolution calls on Malta and Poland to repeal their laws and other measures that ban and restrict it. Changing the EU Charter of Fundamental rights to include abortion would require unanimous agreement from all member states. In the run-up to Malta's accession to the European Union, the then Nationqlist government had negotiated robust safeguards to ensure that such matters would not be forced on the Maltese people against their will, in particular through Protocol 7 to the Accession Treaty. Two Labour MEPs voted against the whole text, as did the Nationalist MEP. Meanwhile, another PL MEP abstained. Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola has not participate in votes since becoming EP president. On the specific clause concerning abortion in Malta and Poland, all the Labour MEPs present voted against, as did the Nationalist MEP. Abortion in Malta is still a hotly debated subject. Last year, government tried to pass a bill which would introduce two very limited exceptions to the Criminal Code by which doctors would be allowed to terminate a pregnancy if a woman's life or health are in danger. Opposition from the Nationalist Party and various NGOs led the government to introduce an amended bill allowing abortion only if the woman's life is at risk. Prime Minister Robert Abela has called for politicians to take a step back in discusisons on abortion, following President Myriam Spiteri Debono's statement where she described a referendum as the fairest way forward on the subject. "I believe that the country cannot keep sweeping this discussion under the rug," said Abela, while urging for a discussion to move forward, "in a structured manner."