Abortion-related legislation won't be altered at this time, as MPs rejected an amendment to the law on health care submitted by Anna Záborská (OLaNO) on Tuesday (October 20).
Of the 117 lawmakers present, a total of 58 voted for Záborská's draft amendment, 45 were against, 12 abstained from voting and two didn't vote.
Zaborska wanted to adjust social measures via her draft. For example, she wanted to introduce a childbirth allowance of €3,170 for disabled children. She also proposed that women receive allowances as early as during pregnancy, and not only after giving birth. In addition, she wanted to extend the minimum period for reconsidering an abortion for a woman from 48 to 96 hours.
MPs also rejected an amendment proposal submitted by parliamentary health committee head Jana Bitto Ciganikova (Freedom and Solidarity/SaS), who wanted to enact the use of an alternative to abortion, the so-called abortion pill.
The vote on the amendment was closely watched from abroad, too. After its rejection, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović wrote on social media that she welcomes the decision of the Slovak Parliament.
Source: TASR
