The first person Maria* called when she found out she was pregnant was her doctor. The second person was a lawyer. The single mother of one was in shock, and considering terminating the pregnancy. But she first had to make sure that she wasn’t about to do something illegal, because all she knew was that abortions were forbidden where she lived. “On top of the emotional mountain that was already there, I also had to deal with this,” Maria told me.
She also knew she wouldn’t get any information about abortions in her own country – that’s illegal too. After making her decision, she drove to a clinic across the border. It was a stressful, if short, 45-minute drive, at the end of which another hurdle was waiting: “Oh, you’re from Liechtenstein?” the receptionist said, according to Maria. “Then you have to pay immediately – 680 Swiss francs (£620) please.” She was taken aback and asked: “What if I can’t pay that right now?” The receptionist replied: “Then you’ll have to come back tomorrow.”
The law must be changed etc.
Liechtenstein’s archaic abortion laws need to be modernised. But a prince is standing in the way
Dunno. The last remnant of the Holy Roman Empire might be allowed to stay different maybe?
Since 2015, women are legally permitted to have an abortion outside the country, and the external border is never more than a 15-minute drive away. And anyway, it is allowed if the woman was raped or if her health is at risk, so what more could you ask for?
Well, quite.
“so what more could you ask for?”
Rhetorical question,
You could walk through Liechtenstein in 3/4 of an hour. And stop to have a pint.
Why didnt she go to Austria, it would have been cheaper ?
It is illegal for a doctor in Lichtenstein to give information about abortions. It is not illegal for someone to google the T&C of Swiss abortion clinics. Are we expected to believe she rocked up in Switzerland expecting a free operation, or interest-free credit?
The whole thing sounds like a crock of shit from the boot-faced babykilling enthusiast who wrote the article.
The last remnant of the Holy Roman Empire…?
Hobbes described the Papacy as “the ghost of the deceased Roman Empire, sitting crowned upon the grave thereof”. I have always tended to see the EU as the ghost of the Holy Roman Empire sitting crowned on its grave. And, to adapt Voltaire’s quip, the EU is neither holy or Roman, but it’s certainly an Empire.
The whole European 2nd millenium is about the HRE in one way or another
That first para:
“Maria’s” pregnancy just spontaneously… happened, did it?
Understandable that no contraception could be applied if out of the blue like that.
It was immaculate.
The law must be changed although the majority voted against change – that is “Democracy” Grauniad-style.
“popular initiative tried to legalise abortion … a 52% vote against.”
Is this a Remainer type of argument: narrow losses don’t count?
Not all Remainers are that bad – and I should not call the 76% vote in favour of retaining the Prince’s veto power a narrow loss. This is Grauniad/Ministry of Truth territory where a “democratic” decision is one that coincides with Grauniad policy even if only 1% of the demos vote for it.
No woman should be subjected to horrors such as “come back tomorrow”.
One of the things with abortion laws is that as transport got easier and cheaper, the pressure to change the law is lowered. The reason Ireland took so long is cheap Ryanair flights to the UK. Everyone knew that £30 and a day out, and it was done. How much are you going to campaign for a law change instead of that.
I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of states in the USA don’t bother, because if you live in Charleston, West Virginia, it’s a 90 minute drive to Ohio.
Arguing over Liechtenstein abortion is ridiculous. Just point in any direction “abortion clinic is over that hill”.
Ah, but it’s the thought that counts, isn’t it?
The sense of entitlement flows through this account. £630? This is elective surgery in a foreign country where you aren’t paying taxes. You expect them to pay for your boob job too? I do have to admit the trans folx have upped that expectation.
Out of interest, anyone else been to Liechtenstein?
Drove through it once. 1975. Germany to Monza for the GP. Blinked, nearly missed it.. . I remember a castle on a hill in Vaduz.
The first time Mom and Dad went to visit our German relatives, Dad wanted to see Liechtenstein, which he knew of as a stamp collector.
Our German relatives claimed not to know of the existence of Liechtenstein.
Yup. Met one of the princes too, but I don’t expect that’s difficult.
My nearest hospital is 45 minutes away, hers is 15 minutes away. My Yuman Rites have been violated!
She couldn’t google abortion clinics across the border – the largest European countries are like a days drive from the center to the edge, max – to find a phone number she could call to ask questions?
And she just rocked up to one expecting the taxpayers of a different country to foot the bill for her?