Liechtenstein approves decriminalising abortion up to 12 weeks despite prince’s opposition
The initiative passed by just one vote but still requires the approval of Hereditary Prince Alois
Liechtenstein has approved an initiative to decriminalise abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy by 13 votes to 12.
However, the reform cannot yet enter into force because it requires the approval of Hereditary Prince Alois, who performs the duties of head of state and has already expressed his opposition to the legislative change.
The vote took place on 2 September in the Landtag, the Principality’s 25-member parliament. According to Vatican News, parliament also rejected a proposal to put the initiative to a referendum, again by 13 votes to 12.
The decision is now in the hands of the Hereditary Prince, who has six months to approve the reform. If he does not do so before March 2027, the initiative will be considered rejected.
An initiative backed by 4,970 signatures
The proposal establishes that abortion would not be punishable during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. It would also remove restrictions on the dissemination of information about the procedure and provide for its costs to be covered by health insurance.
The initiative reached parliament after collecting 4,970 signatures, equivalent to nearly a quarter of Liechtenstein’s electorate and far exceeding the 1,000 required to submit a citizens’ initiative.
Under current legislation, abortion remains a criminal offence, with doctors who perform the procedure facing prison sentences of up to three years. Exceptions are only permitted when there is a serious risk to the mother’s life or health, when the pregnancy results from a sexual offence or when the pregnant girl became pregnant before the age of 14.
Hereditary Prince had already announced his veto
Prince Alois, who has performed the duties of head of state since his father, Hans-Adam II, delegated his powers to him in 2004, had already announced that he would not approve a general decriminalisation of abortion during the first weeks of pregnancy.
In an interview with Liechtensteiner Vaterland, Alois justified his position by referring to the “fundamental legal principle of protecting life.”
Liechtenstein faced a similar debate in 2011, when an initiative to liberalise abortion was rejected in a referendum by 52.3% of voters. On that occasion, the Hereditary Prince had also warned that he would use his constitutional powers to prevent the proposal from entering into force even if it were approved at the ballot box.
