Spain’s Left Calls Aid to Pregnant Mothers Attack on Abortion
Spain's center-right government faces backlash for allowing families to claim existing benefits before birth, with critics alleging the measure could threaten abortion rights.
The controversy erupted after Madrid’s center-right People’s Party (PP) government introduced legislation allowing families to claim existing benefits tied to family size before their child is born, according to The European Conservative. The measure does not create any new benefits but instead enables families to receive current support approximately six months earlier, helping them prepare financially for childbirth and manage the economic burden of pregnancy.
The PP has described the policy as a practical step to address Spain’s declining birth rate and has pledged to implement it nationwide if the party wins power from the current socialist PSOE and far-left Sumar coalition government.
Alfonso Serrano, secretary-general of PP Madrid, defended the initiative by noting that Spain’s social services and pension system depend on demographic growth. He emphasized that immigration alone cannot solve the country’s population challenges, and that encouraging more births benefits both Madrid and Spain as a whole.
Rather than challenging the policy on substantive grounds, Spain’s left-wing opposition and various human rights and women’s rights organizations have accused the PP of harboring an anti-abortion agenda. Yolanda Besteiro, president of the Federation of Progressive Women, claimed the measure represents an attempt to control women’s bodies and could ultimately reduce or eliminate abortion rights under the guise of protecting unborn children.
Cristina Monge, a political science professor at Complutense University, argued that granting any rights to unborn children opens the door to criminalizing abortion. The left-wing Más Madrid party similarly denounced the law as a publicity stunt for abortion opponents.
PP leaders have firmly rejected the abortion connection, insisting the benefit scheme is solely about supporting families. However, the conservatives acknowledged they are prepared to engage in the broader culture war surrounding the issue.
With information from The European Conservative
