Czech Republic Strikes Down Cheap Foreign Abortion Legislation

The Czech Parliament has decided to scrap
legislation that would have required the Czech Republic to offer
inexpensive abortions to citizens of foreign European Union member
states.

In May, the Alliance Defense Fund
submitted a legal opinion to the Czech Republic Ministry of Health to
dispel the misconception that European law requires the country to
offer such abortions. The ADF announced the Czech Republic’s decision on Monday.

“No government must offer abortions
simply because pro-abortion advocates demand they be provided,” ADF
Legal Counsel Roger Kiska says. “Neither European nor international
law requires the Czech Republic to offer abortions. The Czech
Parliament made the right decision to derail this bad and unpopular
legislation.”

Some allied pro-family groups within
the country supported the ADF and used many of their aguments. The
problematic legislation lacked public support and was dropped.

“Attempts to force this type of
illegitimate cross-border recognition through legislation are nothing
new to Americans, who have already seen similar attempts involving
health care and marriage,” Kiska added. “Fortunately, this latest
potential wildfire that was kindled by those who wanted to expand the
reach of abortionists was doused in Europe before it could spread to
American shores.”

In its legal opinion to the Czech Republic
Ministry of Health, ADF stressed that the European Parliament and the
Council of Europe have themselves declared that they have no
authority over member states with regard to abortion. Past
resolutions by both bodies that recommended easy and legal access to
abortion throughout Europe were entirely non-binding opinions.

The resolutions “are not binding on
the Member States of the EU or the Council of Europe or any other
European institutions,” the ADF legal opinion explained. “Despite
what some pressure groups may suggest, there is no such thing as a
‘right to abortion’ in international law or in European law. …
Therefore, by restricting access to an abortion to certain people, a
Member State should not be seen to be acting contrary to European
law.”