Passos Coelho is against the ‘relaxation’ of IVG rules
My Body My Lifeis the title of the book that will be released this Tuesday in Lisbon, with the collection of texts published in the press in defense of a revision of the abortion law in force in Portugal. The book coordinated by a group of pro-life militants, linked to the Portuguese Federation for Life, has the preface by former Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho, who will be present of the presentation of the work.
In the introduction the coordinators, Teresa Melo Ribeiro, José Ribeiro and Castro and Isilda Pegado, justify the publication with the resurgence of the debate in recent months, aiming to extend the deadlines allowed to perform voluntary interruption of pregnancy (IVG) and restrictions on the right to the objection of conscience of health professionals. Write the authors who «Those who understand that in Portugal abortion is a non -subject or a matter ended are fooled» . And further ahead state that the growth in the number of miscarriages in recent years justify that «The issue of abortion will never be peaceful or pacified, since we are talking about human lives».
It is exactly about attempts to change the law in force that Pedro Passos Coelho fixes the argument of his preface text. Starting by saying that it does not coincide with the positions taken by the authors of the texts published in the book, the former Prime Minister says that discussions about abortion and euthanasia « These are problems that, in common, have the ability to refer the discussion to a philosophical plane and moral conscience that does not only divide public opinion, also divides parties and their current and programmatic currents of thought, though unevenly. ».
After referring to the text that defended the various laws passed in the parliament in the field of abortion decriminalization (in 1984, 1997 and 2007), Passos Coelho states that in 2011, when he headed the government, “I considered that perhaps if I had gone too far in 2007 and that an impact assessment of the law should be held to allow an informed discussion on the subject. Although I did not defend the realization of a new referendum on the matter, I considered that it could not be excluded if it was if someone defends it following this assessment ». Lamenting the many criticisms made to him at the time, accusing him of « betray » its original position to «Seduce the Catholic and Conservative Vote»says that its position was always restrictive «Despite expressing itself in the field of defense of discharge”.
In a long text of nine pages, Passos Coelho directs strong criticisms to those who consider to be «A class of activists that classifies their positions in these subjects as being progressive» and that from their point of view prevent any reassessment of the law in force, imposing to those who defend it « A reaction of cancellation not only of the people themselves in the public space, but even from any activity to which they may be linked. »
Against those who make the discussion in the public space unfeasible, the former prime minister defends the publication of the book My Body My Life put « Help fix this important debate in a plan of pluralism and intellectual demand, which cannot be arrogantly impervious to the currents of opinion that express themselves here. »
In the second part of the text, Passos Coelho makes an analysis to the statistical data of abortions in Portugal, since the entry into force of the 2007 Law, stressing that most of the IVGs performed since then (more than 70%) occurred at the request of women and not for the remaining reasons provided for by law: _ Evite the danger of death or serious injury to pregnant women; serious disease or congenital malformation of the unborn.
Data analysis leads the author of the text to say that « There is no data that recommend, for economic, social or sanitary reasons, any relaxation of legal conditions for abortion. ». The long preface text concludes with the defense of a free and open discussion on the subject: “In matters of this sensitivity that, as is my opinion, involve a heavy moral dilemma, both for citizens interested in debate and policy formulation, and for women who have to face the decision to interrupt their pregnancy, should not be seen as weakness to avoid definitive certainties and conclusions. Weakness is to be afraid to confront ideas or to want to silence or diminish those from whom we disagree and hide behind any moral relativism so as not to take a position ».
The book that republished texts from fifteen authors is released next Tuesday June 17, late in the afternoon in the southern auditorium of the Book Fair in Lisbon. The presentation will be made by the constitutionalist Paulo Otero and Passos Coelho will be present at the event, although it is not expected to speak.
In the previous legislature, the discussion around the abortion law was reopened in the election campaign, when the centrist deputy Paulo Nuncio admitted the realization of a new referendum on the subject. Luís Montenegro immediately guaranteed that if he won the elections, he did not intend to revisit the law in force, but the left parties presented a set of proposals to widen deadlines and other adjustments to the law, namely as regards the objection of conscience. All proposals have been spoiled.
