With Giorgia Meloni, Italy has probably the most openly anti-abortion prime minister in western Europe, but terminating pregnancies in the majority-Catholic country that hosts the Vatican has never been easy.
Meloni, 47, is Italy’s first female prime minister, leading a conservative government since 2022. In her best-selling autobiography, “I am Giorgia”, she said she was born after a late decision by her single mother not to abort.
Despite being personally opposed to abortion, she vowed not to change or abolish the 1978 law that legalised it, insisting instead on what she calls a fuller implementation of the law, noting that it also deals with prevention.
Her ruling coalition has passed legislation allowing groups who “support motherhood” into abortion advice clinics, and recently proposed a “motherhood income” of 1,000 euros ($1,084) per month, for five years, for low-income pregnant women who show up at these clinics.
Hosting G7 leaders in June, Meloni insisted on the removal of references to the importance of “safe and legal abortion” from the final statement. One of her ministers said she wanted to avoid offending summit guest Pope Francis, who has described abortion as “murder”.
Anti-abortion groups are a vocal lobby in Italy, with strong connections to several lawmakers in the ruling coalition.
Jacopo Coghe, a spokeperson for one of the groups organising the annual “We Choose Life” rally in Rome – ProVita & Famiglia – said divisions in society had intensified.
“The climate has changed, our activists, especially young people, are more determined, but on the other hand the incidents of intolerance against us have increased, with 10 acts of vandalism against our premises in the last 4-5 years.”
He said he did not expect Meloni to change the abortion law, but that the goal was to shift public opinion against it to pave the way for its repeal at some point.
In the meantime, he said he hopes the government will do more to prevent abortions, especially in terms of helping women afraid of not being able to afford to raise a child.
Defenders of abortion rights say there is nothing wrong with offering money to pregnant women, especially if in need, but they should not be exposed to stigma or psychological pressure.
Francesca Pierazzuoli, a psychologist who oversees abortion advice clinics in the greater Milan area, said their work has “nothing to do” with persuasion and anti-abortion groups had not yet entered the clinics she oversees.
Elisabetta Canitano, a gynaecologist and veteran abortion rights campaigner from Rome, said those who try to convince a woman to keep a child she does not want, have “no idea of the hell they are pushing her into, no idea at all”.
(Reuters)