Andorra stalls pro-abortion bill pending Vatican talks, minister confirms

ANDORRA LA VELLA, Andorra (LifeSiteNews) — The Andorran government has completed a draft law to decriminalize abortion, but says it will not move forward until ongoing talks with the Holy See have concluded.

On June 1, Ladislau Baró, the minister for Institutional Relations, Education and Universities of Andorra, confirmed that a legislative proposal to decriminalize abortion has already been fully drafted, yet no political decision has been taken because talks with the Holy See are still underway.

“There is already a completed legislative proposal,” Baró said, adding that “all the technical and philosophical aspects are written and prepared.”

Baró said the legal text was complete but that the government would not move forward until the current dialogue process had been concluded. The current debate is rooted in Andorra’s distinctive constitutional framework: a parliamentary diarchy in which the head of government is elected by Parliament, while the head of state is shared by two co-princes – the president of France and the bishop of La Seu d’Urgell, currently Josep-Lluís Serrano Pentinat.

Because of this arrangement, proposals affecting abortion law have often been discussed not only in legislative and political terms but also in relation to the preservation of the principality’s institutional balance.

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According to Baró, the government must determine whether the draft can achieve two objectives simultaneously: removing criminal penalties for women in abortion cases while preserving the country’s institutional stability. He stated that several working sessions remain before the executive completes the process it has established for evaluating the proposal.

Baró stressed that the Holy See does not possess decision-making authority over the legislation itself. He said responsibility ultimately belongs to the Andorran government, which must submit any bill, and to the Consell General, the country’s Parliament, which would decide its fate. Nevertheless, he confirmed that the ongoing discussions with the Holy See remain a necessary part of the process before any legislative initiative is formally advanced.

The minister also rejected suggestions that the country is approaching an institutional crisis over the issue. He said Andorra remained “very far” from any scenario involving a rupture of its constitutional arrangements and “very close” to finding a workable balance regarding the matter. While declining to provide a specific timetable, Baró indicated that the abortion question would have to be resolved during the current legislative term.

The government’s comments come little more than a month after French President Emmanuel Macron publicly renewed pressure for changes to Andorra’s abortion laws during an official visit to the principality.

On April 28, Macron made his second visit to Andorra in his capacity as French co-prince. During the visit, he disclosed that he had discussed abortion decriminalization with both Prime Minister Xavier Espot and Bishop Serrano Pentinat. Macron also addressed the issue publicly during a speech in the Andorran capital, on April 29.

“We will talk about all the topics and I will also refer to it tomorrow in my speech,” Macron told the bishop.

Prime Minister Espot likewise acknowledged the subject during the visit, arguing that any progress on abortion decriminalization should be pursued with what he described as “realism, prudence and ambition.” He stated that these principles formed part of a shared approach between his government and Macron.

Despite Macron’s public advocacy, no comparable public campaign has been reported from Bishop Serrano Pentinat. Instead, the bishop’s role has remained tied to the dialogue process being conducted between Andorran authorities and the Holy See, which government officials say is still ongoing and has not yet reached its conclusion.

Abortion remains illegal in Andorra in every circumstance, including cases involving rape or fetal abnormalities. The country’s legislation has faced pressure from abortion advocates both domestically and internationally as legislative talks continue.