EU Civil War: pro-life Vs. pro-choice

Lithuania is bringing new laws to restrict abortion. EU parliament pro-choice campaigners have criticised Lithuania for violating “human rights”. There was then a sudden response from the parliaments pro-life MEPs. A letter was sent from 100 of the parliaments 200 pro-life MEPs, reassuring them that the EU have no power to restrict Lithuania’s “choice” of laws.

The MEP who initiated the letter, Polish Law and Justice Parliamentarian Konrad Szymanski, explained, “With this letter we want to clarify the misunderstanding which pro-abortion activists recently caused in Lithuania.”

The EU’s power regarding abortion laws, was an issue for the Irish people on the Lisbon treaty vote. The reality is, the EU has no power through competence to interfere with any EU countries laws with regards to abortion. If the EU was to be given power, this would truely tear the EU in two. The biggest liberal countries that allow termination up to 24 weeks, Britain, France and Germany, would align themselves with the anti-abortion countries, Ireland, Poland, Malta and now Lithuania, against such a move for practical reasons. The common standard in Europe is allowing for termination up to 11 weeks. So if the EU did bring in a common EU law, this would upset the most liberal countries as well as the most conservative countries.

The main battle regards pro-life versus pro-choice in the parliament is the issue of giving foreign aid to countries with have pro-life laws. Despite no real policy on the issue.