In Spain, doctors refusing to perform abortions "blacklisted"

Illustrative photo: a physician in a medical institution. Photo: Kaboompics.com

On October 5, 2025, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez ordered the compilation of lists of doctors rejecting abortions which they consider morally wrong. As reported by The European Conservative, this move is part of a new government policy aimed at tightening control over the healthcare system and effectively limiting the right of medical professionals to refuse participation in abortions.

According to the order, Sánchez sent official letters to the heads of Aragon, Asturias, the Balearic Islands, and Madrid, demanding that they "as soon as possible" create and organize regional registries of doctors refusing to participate in pregnancy termination procedures. Regional authorities have been given three months to fulfil the directive.

Medical associations and human rights advocates warn that such lists violate freedom of conscience and could become a tool for pressure and discrimination against dissenting specialists. According to them, it is not about protecting women's rights but about suppressing dissent and enforcing his government’s ideology.

Previously, Sánchez announced his intention to enshrine the "right to abortion" in the Spanish Constitution, calling it a step in defense of "women’s freedom and autonomy". However, critics believe that the government is substituting medical ethics with politics and seeks to suppress dissent.

The President of the Madrid Medical Association, Manuel Martínez-Sellés, noted that such an initiative is aimed at intimidating doctors: “If the government wants to organize abortion services, it should ask for a list of those willing to perform them – not those who refuse.”

According to observers, Sánchez's the campaign against objectors is less about healthcare and more about politics. It is intended to divert public attention from internal crises and corruption scandals, turning the issue of abortions into another tool of ideological mobilization.

Previously, the UOJ reported that thousands of people in Vienna took to the streets for an anti-abortion march "For Life".

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