San Marino and Finland Latest European Nations to Ease Abortion Restrictions

     It is my firm belief that, when the history of this era is written, the decision on the part of the ultra-MAGA Supreme Court to strike down Roe v. Wade will go down as a big mistake not only for human rights, but for the political fortunes of American conservatives. It was abortion and democracy that led Americans to view the GOP as a party of extremists not worthy of their votes in 2022, resulting in large part in the best midterms results of any sitting Democratic president in modern history.

     The decision resulted in, has resulted in, and will result in dozens of state laws and initiatives restricting and expanding reproductive healthcare access, turning the United States into a patchwork of total bans and unfettered access. It is my view, however, that the latter will outweigh the former. Even in deep red states, people, when given the chance, have voted overwhelmingly to protect and expand access. In states with Democratic governments, work is beginning not only to expand in every possible way reproductive healthcare in their own states, but to provide it to residents of states that lack this fundamental right. The decision and the policies that followed have resulted in lawsuits filed by organizations and the U.S. government against states and, in one case so far, a ban being overturned.

     Not surprisingly, the results were not limited to the United States. In the immediate aftermath of the Dobbs decision, Canada announced it would take action to strengthen abortion access. Even before this disastrous partisan rollback of human rights by six black-robed troglodytes, the movement to expand abortion across the globe was experiencing a historic strength. In 2021, Argentina, South Korea, and Thailand legalized abortion on request. In early 2022, Colombia did the same. Now, in late 2022 and early 2023, San Marino and Finland have overwhelmingly approved the same. In just over two years, six nations have legalized abortion on request, with a number of others pending.

     This was not just a moment millions of women lost access to healthcare, but a moment all Americans realized rights could be taken away and people all across the world decided to stop being afraid to talk about abortion and instead fight like hell in the courts and at the ballot box to ensure their freedoms are protected, expanded, and cherished. San Marino and Finland are the latest countries to expand access to reproductive healthcare. However, they are far from the last.

     In Chile and Brazil, new left-wing governments are working to expand abortion on request. In Europe, just eight remaining nations-- including the UK, Poland, and Hungary-- do not allow abortion on request. At home and abroad, the time is now to defend access to reproductive healthcare. America's conservatives took off the gloves, and good people around the world are now doing the same.