2021 San Marino abortion referendum
26 September 2021
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?
Results
Choice
 Votes  %
Yes 11,119 77.30%
No 3,265 22.70%
Valid votes 14,384 98.80%
Invalid or blank votes 175 1.20%
Total votes 14,559 100.00%
Registered voters/turnout 35,411 41.11%

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

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]

Those 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 healthcare 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]

Results

Choice Votes %
For11,11977.30
Against3,26522.70
Invalid/blank votes175–
Total14,559100
Registered voters/turnout35,41141.11
Source: Referendum.sm

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]

References

  1. ↑ "San Marino. Referendum sull'aborto: si vota il 26 settembre". Libertas (in Italian). Archived from the original on 17 September 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  2. ↑ "Referendum: vince il Si con il 77%, No al 22%". San Marino Rtv (in Italian). 26 September 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Winfield, Nicole; Fedeli, Francesco (26 September 2021). "San Marino voters overwhelmingly back legal abortion". Washington Post. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  4. ↑ "Referendum: Fällt das absolute Abtreibungsverbot in San Marino?". Euronews (in German). 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  5. ↑ "Tiny San Marino holds abortion referendum". France24. 26 September 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  6. ↑ "Tutti i numeri degli aborti delle sammarinesi - Cronaca - ilrestodelcarlino.it". www.ilrestodelcarlino.it (in Italian). 22 September 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2021..
  7. ↑ "Un referendum per rendere legale l'aborto: San Marino sfida la legge fuori dal tempo - La Stampa". lastampa.it (in Italian). http:www.facebook.comlastampa.it. 3 September 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2021..
  8. ↑ "QUESITO – Segreteria di Stato per gli Affari Interni – Sito Elezioni". Segreteria di Stato per gli Affari Interni. 2021. Archived from the original on 1 September 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  9. ↑ "Enclave. À Saint-Marin, les femmes décrochent un référendum pour enfin légaliser l'avortement". Courrier international. 23 June 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2021..
  10. ↑ "Referendum aborto: si vota il 26 settembre". San Marino RTV (in Italian). 13 July 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2021..
  11. ↑ San Marino, national Popular or citizens initiative [PCI] - Referendum propositivo
  12. ↑ "World Population Policy - United Nations Population Division". United Nations. Retrieved 18 July 2021..
  13. ↑ European Liberties Platform (12 September 2019). "Andorre, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Saint-Marin : les micro-États parmi les plus grands violateurs des droits humains en Europe". Liberties.eu. Archived from the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  14. ↑ "Enclave. À Saint-Marin, les femmes décrochent un référendum pour enfin légaliser l'avortement". Courrier international. 23 June 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2021..
  15. ↑ "Affluenza Referendum: alla chiusura dei seggi 14.558 votanti, pari al 41%". San Marino Rtv (in Italian). 26 September 2021.
  16. ↑ "DECRETO REGGENZIALE 13 luglio 2021 n.129" (PDF). San Marino TV (in Italian). Retrieved 18 July 2021..
  17. ↑ "Aborto, si vota al referendum il 26 settembre". Il Resto del Carlino (in Italian). 2021. Archived from the original on 30 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021..
  18. ↑ Law no. 127 – Regulation of the voluntary interruption of pregnancy, Grand and General Council, 7 September 2022 (in Italian).
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