2021 San Marino abortion referendum explained

Country:San Marino
Date:26 September 2021
Question:Do you want women to be allowed to voluntarily terminate pregnancy until the twelfth week of gestation, and also thereafter if there is danger to the life of the woman or if there are abnormalities and malformations of the fetus that pose a serious risk to the physical or psychological health of the woman?
Yes:11119
No:3265
Total:14559
Electorate:35411
Map:2021 San Marino referendum.svg.2023 02 18 16 49 42.0.svg

A referendum on the legality of abortion was held in San Marino on 26 September 2021.[1] The result was an overwhelming vote in favour of legalisation.[2] [3]

Background

See also: Abortion in San Marino. Abortion was banned under any circumstance in Sammarinese law (Articles 153 and 154 of the Criminal Code), making it one of four European countries, along with Malta, Andorra and the Vatican City, where similar laws were in place.[4] Abortions in cases of endangering the life of the mother were de facto allowed out of medical necessity, however, despite this exception not being explicitly mentioned in the legislation. Punishment for violation of the law was a sentence of three to five years in prison.[5]

Women seeking abortions could go to neighbouring Italy (where abortion is legal since 1978), but for a cost of 2000 to 2500 euros, not reimbursed by the Sammarinese health care, as it was illegal at home.[6] [7]

The referendum question was published on 15 March 2021,[8] after the RETE Movement and the Women's Union of San Marino[9] [10] collected enough signatures (equivalent to 3% of registered voters) under the law permitting referendums passed in 1994.[11] Before the referendum, the last attempt to legalise abortion in some form was in 1974, which was rejected.[12] [13] [14]

Party positions

Yes

No

No position

Results

The referendum passed despite being strongly opposed by the Catholic church, with the Bishop of San Marino, Andrea Turazzi, expressing that the church was "decidedly against" the proposal.[3] Turnout was 41.1%, slightly lower than the 2019 referendum which amended electoral and anti-discrimination laws.[15]

Aftermath

The referendum proposed legalising abortion up to the 12th week of gestation, or if the pregnancy poses a risk to the woman's life, or if there are "abnormalities and malformations of the fetus that pose a serious risk to the physical or psychological health of the woman".[16] [17] [3]

With the passage of the referendum, the San Marino parliament was required to pass a law to enact its result. The law entered into force on 12 September 2022.[18]

San Marino was one of the last European states where abortion remained criminalised without explicit exception (along with Andorra, Malta and Vatican City), and thus joined other European Catholic countries like Ireland, where a 2018 referendum also approved allowing the procedure.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: San Marino. Referendum sull'aborto: si vota il 26 settembre. dead. 1 September 2021. Libertas. it. 17 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210917155005/http://www.libertas.sm/notizie/2021/07/13/san-marino-referendum-sullaborto-si-vota-il-26-settembre.html.
  2. News: Referendum: vince il Si con il 77%, No al 22% . San Marino Rtv . 26 September 2021 . it.
  3. News: Winfield . Nicole . Fedeli . Francesco . San Marino voters overwhelmingly back legal abortion . 26 September 2021 . Washington Post . Associated Press . 26 September 2021 . 27 September 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210927104246/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/san-marino-voters-decide-whether-to-decriminalize-abortion/2021/09/26/4e9dfa44-1eaa-11ec-a8d9-0827a2a4b915_story.html . dead .
  4. Web site: 13 July 2021. Referendum: Fällt das absolute Abtreibungsverbot in San Marino?. live. 1 September 2021. Euronews. de. https://web.archive.org/web/20210713211142/https://de.euronews.com/2021/07/13/referendum-fallt-das-absolute-abtreibungsverbot-in-san-marino . 13 July 2021 .
  5. News: Tiny San Marino holds abortion referendum . 26 September 2021 . . 26 September 2021.
  6. Web site: Tutti i numeri degli aborti delle sammarinesi - Cronaca - ilrestodelcarlino.it. www.ilrestodelcarlino.it. it. 22 September 2021. 26 September 2021. .
  7. Web site: Un referendum per rendere legale l'aborto: San Marino sfida la legge fuori dal tempo - La Stampa. http:www.facebook.comlastampa.it. lastampa.it. it. 3 September 2021. 26 September 2021. .
  8. Web site: 2021. QUESITO – Segreteria di Stato per gli Affari Interni – Sito Elezioni. live. 1 September 2021. Segreteria di Stato per gli Affari Interni. https://web.archive.org/web/20210901232023/http://www.elezioni.sm/on-line/home/referendum/referendum-26092021/quesito.html . 1 September 2021 .
  9. Web site: Enclave. À Saint-Marin, les femmes décrochent un référendum pour enfin légaliser l'avortement. Courrier international. 23 June 2021. 18 July 2021. .
  10. Web site: Referendum aborto: si vota il 26 settembre. San Marino RTV . it. 13 July 2021. 18 July 2021. .
  11. https://www.direct-democracy-navigator.org/legal_designs/san-marino-national-referendum-propositivo San Marino, national Popular or citizens initiative [PCI] - Referendum propositivo]
  12. Web site: World Population Policy - United Nations Population Division. United Nations. en. 18 July 2021. .
  13. Web site: European Liberties Platform. 12 September 2019. Andorre, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Saint-Marin: les micro-États parmi les plus grands violateurs des droits humains en Europe. live. 18 July 2021. Liberties.eu. https://web.archive.org/web/20210718200338/https://www.liberties.eu/fr/stories/human-rights-in-microstates/17636 . 18 July 2021 .
  14. Web site: Enclave. À Saint-Marin, les femmes décrochent un référendum pour enfin légaliser l'avortement. Courrier international. 23 June 2021. 18 July 2021. .
  15. News: Affluenza Referendum: alla chiusura dei seggi 14.558 votanti, pari al 41% . San Marino Rtv . 26 September 2021 . it.
  16. Web site: DECRETO REGGENZIALE 13 luglio 2021 n.129. San Marino TV. it. 18 July 2021. .
  17. Web site: 2021. Aborto, si vota al referendum il 26 settembre. live. 30 July 2021. Il Resto del Carlino. it. https://web.archive.org/web/20210730163251/https://www.ilrestodelcarlino.it/rimini/cronaca/aborto-si-vota-al-referendum-il-26-settembre-1.6588765 . 2021-07-30 . .
  18. https://www.consigliograndeegenerale.sm/on-line/home/lavori-consiliari/verbali-sedute/scheda17177841.html Law no. 127 – Regulation of the voluntary interruption of pregnancy

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