Push for reform: Abortion in MV should give women more rights!

Push for reform: Abortion in MV should give women more rights!

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is facing a potential paradigm shift in the legal situation regarding abortion. On November 1, 2025, the country's Justice Minister, Jacqueline Bernhardt from the Left, announced that she wanted to submit a proposal to reform Section 218, the controversial abortion paragraph, at the Justice Ministers' Conference on November 6 and 7 in Leipzig. Bernhardt qualified the current legal situation as “unworthy” and emphasized that women deserve self-determination over their bodies. “We must not forget that women in eastern Germany had better regulations in the GDR,” said Bernhardt.

In the former GDR, abortion was permitted in the first three months without giving reasons, a law that had been in force since 1972. In contrast, in the Federal Republic of Germany, an abortion is generally illegal, but not punishable if it occurs within the first twelve weeks after counseling. Abortion is only legal in cases of medical indications or after rape. In this respect, the reform proposal represents an important point in the social discussion about women's rights.

Reform discussion on several levels

The current discussion is not only shaped by the political side. The Ministerial Conference for Women and Equality spoke out in favor of reforming abortion law as early as 2024. Movements among the population and among experts are pushing for new legal regulations. Interestingly, the previous federal government had presented a bill shortly before the end of its legislative period, but it could not be implemented due to the premature end of this legislative period.

The new black-red coalition has so far shown no inclination to liberalize abortion rights. While the SPD is open to reforms, the Union is sticking to the current legal situation and sees a change as a contradiction to the state's duty to protect the unborn. The controversies surrounding these issues reflect the deep divide in German society when it comes to abortion and women's rights.

Facts and figures about abortion in Germany

A look at the statistics shows that almost 104,000 abortions were registered in Germany in 2022. This represents a growing trend, especially considering that numbers have been trending downward since the 2000s. Around 739,000 of the pregnancies this year occurred, with women between the ages of 30 and 35 particularly affected. Additionally, over 58 percent of abortions were performed on unmarried women, while approximately 38 percent involved married women.

In a European comparison, Germany is relatively far behind with 5.4 abortions per 1,000 women. It should be mentioned that abortion only goes unpunished in certain cases, which entails the need for pregnancy conflict counseling and a three-day cooling-off period. The majority of abortions occur in gynecological offices, and the most common method is vacuum aspiration.

In practice, the current regulations often lead to difficulties for women who wish to have an abortion. The ban on advertising for abortions and the restrictive counseling services make access to the necessary medical care considerably more difficult.

Overall, these developments and figures show that the debate surrounding the issue of abortion remains very current and relevant. With the planned reform, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania could take a step towards a modern regulation and strengthen the voice of women.