Spanish right-wing government announces tough new abortion law

[Tender Branson]

Spain government approves restrictive abortion law despite opposition

Spain's conservative government has approved an abortion law that rolls back current legislation permitting the procedure without restrictions until the 14th week.

Justice minister Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón said on Friday that abortion will only be allowed in the case of rape or when there is a serious mental or physical health risk to the mother. Accredited fetal deformities that would endanger a child's life if born will also be accepted.

He said 16- and 17-year-olds will once again have to obtain permission from their parents to have an abortion.

The bill, which must be approved by parliament, has been vigorously opposed by most opposition parties and women's groups across the country.

Gallardon's ruling Popular party has always sided heavily with the Catholic church on moral and social issues.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/20/spain-government-restrictive-abortion-law-opposition

[Velasco]

What a coincidence. Julio told me yesterday how happy he is with our Justice minister and his views on abortion. However, I think our Interior and Industry ministers are among the dumbest in Rajoy cabinet. There is a security law -nicknamed "Gag Law"- that is delighting many people in this country. Among other things, such aberration is granting private security employees  the same attributions of the police -body search, request of ID cards- and impose impose strong fines if you are recording police agents using their truncheons against a group of demonstrators. Impunity, in other words. Industry minister JM Soria has approved a heavy increase of electricity prices, even surprising energy providers -whose practices lack of transparency- and complaints in the industrial sector -it's a hard blow for competitiveness-, leaving aside the long-suffering citizens, who are the last in the queue, as always.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Is it acceptable to call him Generalissimo Rajoy?

[Frodo]

I am not entirely familiar with Spanish politics, but isn't public opinion in Spain in favor of liberalized abortion laws? 

[Antonio the Sixth]

Sickening.

Hopefully Spanish women will remember this assault on their basic rights come the next elections, and rightfully kick the PP's ass.

[Person Man]

Well, Spain has a history of fascism, right? Do you think that this could actually go through and that people are actively reconsidering fascism in that country?

[DC Al Fine]

Well, Spain has a history of fascism, right? Do you think that this could actually go through and that people are actively reconsidering fascism in that country?

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Sickening.

Hopefully Spanish women will remember this assault on their basic rights come the next elections, and rightfully kick the PP's ass.

Frau Merkel will ensure that doesn't happen by any means necessary.

[politicus]

There is a security law - nicknamed "Gag Law"- that is delighting many people in this country. Among other things, such aberration is granting private security employees  the same attributions of the police -body search, request of ID cards- and impose impose strong fines if you are recording police agents using their truncheons against a group of demonstrators. Impunity, in other words.

This is by far the most troubling aspect of the PP-government (along with their cynicism regarding the faith of the unemployed). They seem semi-authoritarian to say the least.

From my point of view the new abortion law seems appropriate. But I would prefer the abortion question to be settled in a referendum (despite the ugly campaigning it would generate).
Its too important an issue to be changed every time the country gets a new government.

[CatoMinor]

Good for Spain. These are reasonable restrictions, yet people are taking it as if all Spansh women were just sold into slavery.

And also, in before "OMG, BUT THEY ARE ESSENTIONALY BEING SOLD INTO SLAVERY!!111!!!"

[Frodo]

I am not entirely familiar with Spanish politics, but isn't public opinion in Spain in favor of liberalized abortion laws?  

Thanks to no one, I found out that apparently there is more opposition to their liberalized abortion laws than I thought:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-spain-abortion-law-20131220,0,2275456.story#ixzz2oGlrUugv

I would love to get access to this poll, whatever it is.  

[Peter the Lefty]

Sickening.

Hopefully Spanish women will remember this assault on their basic rights come the next elections, and rightfully kick the PP's ass.

Frau Merkel will ensure that doesn't happen by any means necessary.

Indeed.  She may well install a literal Generalissimo in Spain to prevent any government she doesn't like.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Sickening.

Hopefully Spanish women will remember this assault on their basic rights come the next elections, and rightfully kick the PP's ass.

Frau Merkel will ensure that doesn't happen by any means necessary.

wow so sage

[Supersonic]

This makes up for Rajoy's saber-rattling over Gibraltar. Barely.

[Velasco]

I am not entirely familiar with Spanish politics, but isn't public opinion in Spain in favor of liberalized abortion laws? 

I was looking for some polls and I found one dated on April (Metroscopia/ El Pais).

http://politica.elpais.com/politica/2013/04/21/actualidad/1366559453_955611.html

According to that, abortion on demand -under similar conditions similar to those of most of UE countries and the Spanish Law of 2010- has a 46% support. Namely, the in force law in Spain between 2010 and now allowed abortion on demand during the first 14 weeks and allowed abortion after that period in cases of serious risk to physical health/life of woman or fetal malformation/ impairment.

41 % considers that abortion has to be restricted to a concrete series of suppositions, more near to the approach of this new law of the PP government. Also, one of the most controversial issues in the previous law has been reversed: 16/17 year olds will have to obtain parental permission again. The previous law had a majority support in the society, but not this concrete measure relative to pregnant girls between 16 and 18. However, I think this poll didn't ask for this new abortion law. Maybe among this 41%, some people would support something similar to the abortion law in force between the 1985 and 2010. The new law is even more restrictive than the one approved in the 80s.

Finally this poll measures that radical antiabortion stances -abortion must not be legal in any case and considered a crime- have a 10% support.

The 2010 law has a 60% support among PSOE voters and 22% among PP's. Among PP voters 61% support more restrictions and 30% among PSOE's.

On a sidenote, same-sex marriage (or "redefinition" of marriage) has a 58% support in this poll, 30% is in favour of something similar to civil unions and 10% rejects legal recognition to same sex couples.

Is it acceptable to call him Generalissimo Rajoy?

There's a clear social and economic conservative drive, but this is not still the Franco regime.

This is by far the most troubling aspect of the PP-government (along with their cynicism regarding the faith of the unemployed). They seem semi-authoritarian to say the least.

From my point of view the new abortion law seems appropriate. But I would prefer the abortion question to be settled in a referendum (despite the ugly campaigning it would generate).
Its too important an issue to be changed every time the country gets a new government.

I support liberal legislation on abortion, but I agree on the last phrase and yes, the security law is at the very least a signal of a semi-authoritarian drive. In the last years of Aznar administration, centrist historian Santos Juliá depicted that government's actions as "Francoism with human face". I'd like to know his opinion now. On PP cynicism on unemployed, deputy Andrea Fabra -daughter of Carlos Fabra, an infamous and corrupt PP boss in Castellón, in the Valencia region- exclaimed f*** you while some opposition deputies were talking about unemployed people. In this case, cynical is not enough strong to describe such attitudes.

[Niemeyerite]

Wow, I'm surprised this has drawn your attention! I was about to create a topic about this absurde law on Monday, but I thought you wouldn't comment on it :`p

I read somewhere that 81% of the electorate were against this law... I can't find the link, sorry. Maybe I'm mistaken, however. I actually whatsapped a friend about it... I'm confused now.

This law was made for two reasons:

1) Because mr. Gallardón, the Justice Minister (this law should have been made by the Health Minister, corrupt Ana Mato, BTW) is very socially-conservative and some journalists have said since he became Minsiter that all he wanted was to kill Zapatero's abortion law. When he was mayor of Madrid he was considered to be "the most moderate PP politician". I never believed it, but even my mother (who likes IU) used to like him.

2) Because, after the "Doctrina Parot" was overruled in Strasbourg, and hundreds of "etarras" and other criminals have left jail, PP feared they'd lose the ultra-conservative (why not calling them fascists?) vote. The situation aggravated when Santiago Abascal (a hack the Spanish tea party loves) left the party. And I think this abortion law + the gag law is designed to keep the extreme vote with them. I don't think it'll work, however, because Abascal will likely create a new party and because I'm sure this law will be "sweetened", and this kind of people won't like it. The main reason for me to believe the bill is too extreme to become law as it's designed now is that the society HATES it and that even some members of the PP are begining to criticize it: the leader of the PP in Guipuzkoa did it today and the mayor of Zamora and member of the National Executive of the PP said yesterday she "was scared".

So, I think the PP won't lose many votes from this, maybe they rise 0-0.5% in polls. This law, which is the most restrictive of our young democracy, will likely help PSOE gain some traction in polls, just because people are realizing now that PP =/= PSOE, at least when we are talking about social issues. I'm convinced now I'm voting PSOE in the next General Elections, we have to prevent these corrupt, authoritarian dumbs from winning yet again. And IU isn't helping either, with Alberto Garzón saying we should leave NATO, Cayo Lara being teased by IU-Extremadura (since 2011) and Llamazares potential team defecting to PSOE (Baltasar Garzón, Esteban Ibarra...). But, just give me Eduardo Madina, please!!

Is it acceptable to call him Generalissimo Rajoy?

Rajoy is too soft to be Franco. Aznar was more authoritarian than he is. Rajoys is just inept, and he lets some franquist ministers do what they want to. We have three kinds of ministers in Spain, with some belonging to 2 groups or more:

-Corrupt: Ana Mato (Health), Mariano Rajoy (President), Alberto Ruíz Gallardón (Justice), Pedro Morenés (Defence), Miguel Arias Cañete (Agriculture), Luis de Guindos (Economy).
-Francoist: Gallardón, Morenés, Wert (Education; the reincarnation of Franco), Jorge Fernández (Interior).
-Dumb: Mato, Rajoy, Cristóbal Montoro (Revenue; I don't know if he's dumb or enjoys lying), Fátima Báñez (Labor), José Manuel Soria (Industry; the dumbest. He's from Canarias and is sure the Greenwich meridian crosses the Islands, LoL).

Not included: Soraya Sáez de Santamaría (Presidency; she may be included in some of these groups when/if (someday) she has some competency) and Ana Pastor (developtment).

So, what can we do with this kind of Government? In a country where 28% of the population can be considered "poor" and we have 13% more rich people than we had in 2012? With an unemployment of 26%, wages falling and the Government saying we are "leaving the crisis", when even the King (whose daughter is involved in a corruption scandal) disagrees? I'll tell you what we can do: leave the country.

The abortion law could be the straw that broke the camel's back. I really hope it is, I hope women realize that 90% of the abortions performed until today would be considered ilegal with the new law and go to the streets and protest with the support of thousands of men, who, like me, think they're destroying our democracy. Don't forget that the PP was founded by 6 Ministers of Franco, that the members of "Nuevas Generaciones" (PP Young Organization) who take photos like these below don't get expelled, that the only French party to praise the new abortion law was the FN of LePen, with the PS and UMP rejecting it, and that "The Times" (conservative UK newspaper) talks about "Abuse of Power" (http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/leaders/article3956385.ece).







Let me clarify: the flag with the chicken is the Spanish flag from 1939 to 1979 (Franco's flag, the fascist flag of Spain, if you prefer).

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

José Manuel Soria (Industry; the dumbest. He's from Canarias and is sure the Greenwich meridian crosses the Islands, LoL).

Well, if Spain wasn't so idiotic in choosing which time zone to be part of, maybe he wouldn't be confused. Spain should be using Western European Time instead of Central European Time, and the Canaries should be using Azores time (UTC-1).  Indeed, Spain used to do that until Franco changed it in 1940.  Spain needs to get rid of this surviving element of Falagist influence and return to using a proper time zone.

[Niemeyerite]

José Manuel Soria (Industry; the dumbest. He's from Canarias and is sure the Greenwich meridian crosses the Islands, LoL).

Well, if Spain wasn't so idiotic in choosing which time zone to be part of, maybe he wouldn't be confused. Spain should be using Western European Time instead of Central European Time, and the Canaries should be using Azores time (UTC-1).  Indeed, Spain used to do that until Franco changed it in 1940.  Spain needs to get rid of this surviving element of Falagist influence and return to using a proper time zone.

I agree and I'm surprised a guy from SC knows more than I do about this. But JM Soria isn't confused. He's just stupid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poQ2eYgRSEY

Doesn't he look like Aznar?

[Velasco]

Spain should adopt Western European Time, I agree. However, I doubt changing the Canaries from GMT to UTC-1 would be desirable. I live there and I'm fine with the fact that now it's 0:10 in my hometown and in London. The Canaries are between -13º 20' and -18º 10' longitudes, whereas the Azores Islands lie more than 10º to the west.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Spain should adopt Western European Time, I agree. However, I doubt changing the Canaries from GMT to UTC-1 would be desirable. I live there and I'm fine with the fact that now it's 0:10 in my hometown and in London. The Canaries are between -13º 20' and -18º 10' longitudes, whereas the Azores Islands lie more than 10º to the west.

Arguably, the Azores should be UTC-2.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Personally, I'd quite like to live in a country whose legal time zone is much more eastern than its actual time zone. This means sun sets very late in the evening.

[Velasco]

Arguably, the Azores should be UTC-2.

Geographically speaking, yes. I forgot to mention that Madeira is using Western European Time, like mainland Portugal. Funchal, the Madeira capital, is 32º 38' N / 16º 54' W. The longitude is similar to that of the Canaries, only that Madeira island is 3 or 4 degrees of latitude to the north. It's possible to argue that, when the Canaries and Madeira receive thousands of visitors every year from the British Isles, it would be comfortable for those tourists not having to change the clock. In fact, the hour only coincides in winter, because Spain (as many European countries) puts back and forward the hour once a year respectively, to adapt better to solar time. It would be practical that Spain, Portugal, the British Isles, Madeira and the Canaries were sharing the same time zone.

Personally, I'd quite like to live in a country whose legal time zone is much more eastern than its actual time zone. This means sun sets very late in the evening.

London in winter can be a bit depressing if you're not accustomed to darkness at four o'clock in the evening. I know that if you move northwards is even worse...

[Velasco]

I bump this because "the most restrictive abortion laws since return of democracy" (see link below) are running into some opposition in the People's Party.

http://elpais.com/elpais/2013/12/20/inenglish/1387553017_431286.html

Extremadura regional premier, José Antonio Monago, stated that nobody can deny a woman her right to be mother, nor nobody can force her to be mother. Monago asked to depoliticize the issue and for consensus building. He thinks the 1985 law (under Felipe González) "united us" for 25 years and the 2010 law (Zapatero) "divided us only after 3 years". Previously, Galician PM Alberto Núñez Feijoó suggested that the law might be amended in the Congress, though he didn't make any criticism.

Cristina Cifuentes (Government's representative in Madrid) and Borja Samper (speaker in the Basque Parliament) openly criticized the new abortion laws, and the latter appealed PP national deputies to vote with their conscience. Some spokesman in Castilla-León stated his confidence on an "improvement" or "touching" when the bill will be through parliament. Zamora and Valladolid mayors are against the suppression of terminations in cases of fetus malformation.

There's no open opposition from PP members in the Congress of Deputies, although it's known that Málaga representative Celia Villalobos and some others are against. The direction of the parliamentary block might impose fines of about 500 Euro to maverick deputies voting against the official stance. PSOE wants the bill to be voted by secret ballot. Also, the main opposition party will file a petition demanding Justice Minister Ruiz-Gallardón and Deputy PM Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría appear before lawmakers to explain why the government "has aligned itself with the far-right"