The European Evangelical Alliance (EEA) has expressed concern over recent moves to liberalize abortion laws in Andorra and Liechtenstein, saying the developments reflect what it views as a broader trend toward expanding abortion access across Europe.
In September 2026, both predominantly Catholic countries advanced legislative or policy proposals that could expand access to abortion.
In Andorra, Prime Minister Xavier Espot announced plans to introduce legislation before the end of his term to decriminalize abortion obtained by women outside the country.
“We are continuing this dialogue, with our sights set on this coming parliamentary session and, therefore, with the assurance that we can approve the decriminalisation of abortion. And that is what we are working on,” Espot reportedly told the Andorran news outlet La Veu Lliure in reference to discussions with the Vatican.
Andorra is a parliamentary co-principality with two heads of state: French President Emmanuel Macron and the Bishop of Urgell, Josep-Lluís Serrano Pentinat.
The proposal would not legalize abortion in Andorra but would seek to prevent women from being prosecuted for obtaining abortions abroad. The debate has also raised questions about the possible response of the Bishop of Urgell if the law changes.
Meanwhile, the BBC reported Sept. 3 that Liechtenstein’s parliament narrowly backed a citizen-led initiative to legalize abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy by a 13-12 vote. The initiative, led by a local women’s advocacy group, would also remove a nationwide ban on providing information about abortion and make the procedure eligible for health insurance.
However, Hereditary Prince Alois has indicated that he would use his constitutional powers to veto the measure. Abortion is currently highly restricted in the principality, including exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape and cases involving serious danger to the woman’s life or health.
Tatiana Kopaleishvili, EEA representative to the EU in Brussels, told Christian Daily International that the evangelical body is concerned about what it sees as a broader trend reflected in the two developments.
“Obviously, we do not support the decriminalisation or legalisation of abortion in Andorra or Liechtenstein, or anywhere else,” Kopaleishvili said. “We hold to the biblical view of the sanctity of human life from conception, and we are concerned by both developments.”
Kopaleishvili also expressed concern that the Catholic heritage of both countries was being given insufficient weight in the abortion debate.
“It is a pity to see how fervently these states are pushing this agenda forward, treating their Catholic heritage and the legislative safeguards built into their own constitutions as if they carried no real weight,” she said.
“It would be far better to see the same fervour directed elsewhere: towards eliminating the underlying causes that drive women to consider abortion in the first place, towards supporting women through crisis pregnancies so they don't feel abortion is their only option, and towards ensuring sufficient care for mothers and children after birth.
“If governments pursued those goals with the same determination they are showing in pursuing legalisation by all means, the outcome for women and children alike would be far better.”
Kopaleishvili said the developments in Andorra and Liechtenstein are part of a broader trend in Europe. She pointed to Monaco, another small country with a Catholic heritage, which decriminalized abortion for women in 2009 and subsequently eased further criminal restrictions in 2019.
The Centre for Reproductive Rights has identified 20 European countries that took steps to expand abortion access during the past decade, while noting that some European countries have moved in the opposite direction.
“Once decriminalisation takes hold in one jurisdiction, it tends to normalise the argument elsewhere, making it harder for neighbouring states to hold the line,” Kopaleishvili said.
“Beyond the loss of unborn life itself, this trajectory is troubling because it erodes the role of constitutional safeguards, such as the co-principality in Andorra or the sovereign's sanction in Liechtenstein, that were designed precisely to prevent narrow parliamentary majorities from overriding deeply held moral and religious convictions.”
