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Why Abortion Laws Are Much Stricter in Europe

Why Abortion Laws Are Much Stricter in Europe

There’s been much debate in states like Texas and North Carolina lately about new legislation that could force many abortion-providers to close. But the restrictions being implemented even in the most strict states aren’t even close to some of the requirements in many Western European countries. This piece in The Atlantic looks at how waiting periods, mandatory counseling sessions, requirements that women be told about abortion alternatives and late-term abortion bans are common throughout much of Europe.

So why are Europe’s abortion laws not as libertine and laissez-faire as our stereotypes about those countries might suggest? Here’s one way of looking at the difference between abortion laws in Europe and those in the U.S.: in America, abortion laws are about morality, while in Europe, they reflect national ideas of what constitutes the common good.

According to the piece, in countries like Germany, Denmark, Finland and Belgium, the abortion debate goes even deeper than protecting life. The article contends that governments restrict abortion and provide young parents with resources following the birth of a baby because “children there are viewed as part of building a successful society.” The article offers an interesting perspective as the debate over abortion in the United States continues to grow …

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