According to various political commentators, the election campaign before the general election that begins this autumn might see the issue of stricter rules on abortion as one of its main themes. Politicians from the governing parties Smer-SD and the Slovak National Party are drafting a bill which would limit access to abortion. This bill should make it to the Parliament in September or October. Thus, abortions and the ever much-stressed clash between the conservative and liberal groups in the parliament could have a major impact on politics half a year before the parliamentary elections.
According to the non-governmental organizations Aspekt and Možnosť voľby (Free to chose), the announced amendment to the Abortion Act is an attempt to limit women's rights to a timely and safe abortion. Instead, they are asking MPs to create conditions that give women a real choice. In reaction to the proposed amendment, the non-parliamentary party SPOLU (Together) has established the Women Together platform, which aims to promote solutions in areas related to gender equality.
Under the current legislation, a woman can apply for an abortion until the 12th week of her pregnancy. There is no time restriction if there are serious health concerns regarding both mother and the fetus. In addition, a woman cannot undergo abortions more than once every 6 months. However, before the final procedure, the doctor must always talk to the patient about other possibilities, including the possibility of giving birth to the child and putting it up for adoption. According to the information published by the Denník N daily, the new legislative change could shorten the deadline from twelve to approximately eight or six weeks. It is during this time that the heart of the fetus starts to beat.
The new bill may pass in the parliament, because since it would not be a constitutional bill, it requires the support of 76 MPs. Conservative politicians may be found in the coalition as well as in the opposition parties. It is yet unclear as to how will the governing Smer-SD vote. The last proposal regarding this topic was brought to the parliament by the Kotleba's far-right party this spring. It proposed a (almost) total ban on abortions; however, it did not pass. According to National Health Information Centre, the number of abortions has been falling in the past years.
