San Marino votes to allow abortion in historic referendum
The tiny state of San Marino voted Sunday to allow abortion in a historic referendum result that will bring the predominately Catholic nation in line with most of the rest of Europe. Some 77.3 per cent of voters approved a motion to allow the termination of a pregnancy up to 12 weeks. After that, abortion would only be allowed if the mother’s life was in danger or in the case of foetal abnormalities that could harm the woman physically or psychologically. The picturesque republic of San Marino, situated on a mountainside in the centre of Italy, is one of the last places in Europe along with Malta, Andorra and the Vatican to have a total ban on abortion. In traditionally Catholic Ireland, abortion was made legal in 2018, also after a referendum. There were celebrations at Sunday’s result among members of the San Marino Women’s Union (UDS), which had initiated the referendum and campaigned for a “Yes” vote against the governing party and the Catholic Church. “It’s a victory for all the women of San Marino, over the conservatives and reactionaries who believe women have no rights,” UDS president Karen Pruccoli told AFP. “It’s a victory against the Catholic Church who were our...