As Europe woke up to the news that the Supreme Court might overturn Roe v. Wade, progressive lawmakers across the continent expressed concerns and surprise.
“The right of women to decide what happens to our own bodies is a human right,” Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish government, Tweeted on Tuesday morning, “And experience tells us that removing the legal right to abortion doesn’t stop abortions happening — it just makes them unsafe and puts the lives of women at much greater risk.”
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, also spoke against potential restrictions to abortion rights. “London stands with women across the United States today,” he wrote on Twitter. “Roe v Wade enshrined women’s fundamental rights over their own bodies and access to health care. That cannot and must not be undone.”
Julien Bargeton, a French senator representing Paris, wrote on Twitter that if the Supreme Court decision was confirmed, “It would be a terrible regression for American women,” and he urged progressives around the world to mobilize.
In Ireland, where one of the world’s most restrictive abortion bans was repealed in 2018, abortion rights associations looked on with despair.
“It is heartbreaking and rage-inducing,” Abortion Rights IE, a volunteer group that supports free and safe abortions in Ireland, wrote on Twitter. “Here in Ireland, we know all too well the consequences of abortion being illegal.”
While most European countries allow abortions, civil rights associations argue that effectively, many obstacles still prevent women to perform an abortion freely and safely and the right to abortion is under threat. The leaked decision brought new attention to these claims.
Some politicians, activists and academics feared that America’s decision could set a precedent for a wider regression in terms of civil rights.
“American attempts to overturn Roe v. Wade and the right to abortion may signal a wave of moves to right wing social policy across Europe and North America,” Diane Abbott, a Labour member of Britain’s Parliament, wrote on Twitter.
“Today, the right to abortion. Tomorrow, the penalization of homosexuality and the right to marriage for all?” Nicolas Hervieu, a French law professor wrote on Twitter, adding that the Supreme Court’s apparent intention should serve as a reminder “that no fundamental right is ever acquired.”
“I am so angry,” wrote the British writer Alice Wickenden, who volunteers with an organization that helps people travel to access abortion. “Anyway. Abortion in Europe isn’t free, safe, legal.”
Caspar Shaller, who writes for the German weekly Die Zeit, noted that rather than worrying about the United States, Europe, where high ranking officials have held anti abortion stances, should turn to itself.
“Instead of getting performatively upset about the situation in the USA we could also deal with the topic of abortion in Germany and Europe,” he said.
Erika Solomon contributed reporting from Berlin.
