Andorran PM says abortion to be legal by April, with or without Vatican approval

The Andorran Prime Minister has announced a plan to decriminalize abortion in the microstate by April next year “whether the Holy See likes it or not,” despite a Catholic bishop serving as co-head of state.

Andorran Prime Minister Xavier Espot. Credit: Andorran gov.

Xavier Espot, the Andorran PM, announced the plan in a Sept. 8 interview, saying that after years of tense talks with the Vatican the government on the issue of abortion dialogue with the Holy See will continue but “with our sights set on the upcoming parliamentary session and, therefore, with the assurance that we can pass legislation to decriminalize abortion.”

The country’s government has been in negotiations with the Holy See for years in an attempt to secure at least tacit approval for decriminalizing abortion, as the country’s co-head of state is the Bishop of Urgell, Bishop Josep Lluís Serrano Pentinat, the territory of which covers Andorra.

Andorra has an unusual political arrangement, with two co-princes serving as heads of state: the president of France and the Bishop of Urgell. As a result, legalizing any measure contrary to Catholic teaching can involve delicate political and ecclesial tensions, as