Andorra's prime minister says abortion will be decriminalized before April 2027

Andorra's prime minister, Xavier Espot, has said he intends to decriminalize abortion in the microstate before April 2027, and that the decision will be taken "whether or not the Vatican likes it." Espot made the comments in an interview on September 8. He said that despite lengthy talks with the Holy See, the government is determined to press ahead with decriminalization legislation in the next parliamentary session.

Andorra has an unusual political structure. It operates under a system of co-princes, in which the bishop of Urgell, Josep Lluís Serrano Pentinat, serves as head of state alongside the president of France. The arrangement produces political and ecclesial tension over any legislation that conflicts with Catholic teaching. But under Andorran law only one of the two co-princes has to sign for a bill to become law, and on contested matters that step usually falls to the French president.

Years of negotiations across two pontificates

The Andorran government has held discreet talks with the Vatican for years, seeking at least tacit approval for decriminalization. The talks advanced during the pontificate of Francis but cooled after his death in January 2025. In March 2025, Espot said the law had been "discreetly negotiated" with the Vatican, and the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia reported in 2024 that the Holy See had quietly approved the plan with Pope Francis's authorization.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, met Espot in 2023 together with Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Holy See's foreign minister, to look for a compromise. Parolin visited Andorra in September 2023 amid rumors that the bishop of Urgell at the time, Joan-Enric Vives, might abdicate if abortion were legalized. Parolin ruled that out, describing the matter as a "very delicate and complex question that must be handled with great discretion and wisdom."

A new bishop, a different tone

Serrano Pentinat became bishop of Urgell. In his first public appearance as co-prince on May 31, he said there "must be dialogue and support for those who suffer... [especially] women in a difficult situation" because of abortion. The remarks were seen as a shift in tone from his predecessor, Vives, who had firmly refused to sign any law that went against Catholic teaching. He said that "when the Andorran people ask a Catholic bishop to be their head of state, they know what that involves."

Vives had threatened to abdicate rather than approve decriminalization, a position that caused discontent among Catholics in Andorra and Spain. In recent years the Church has signaled tacit acceptance of decriminalization, provided the bishop of Urgell is not required to give the measure formal approval as co-prince.

Scope and timing of the proposed law

Espot has said he wants the reform passed before the April 2027 elections, but he has not given a specific date or set out exactly what the law would cover. In June, the Andorran minister for institutional relations, Ladislau Baró, said the proposal was "technically and philosophically drafted and ready," although negotiations with the Holy See could delay its presentation.

Andorran media have speculated that decriminalization would not be total. It would remove criminal penalties for women who have abortions in Andorra, but abortion would remain technically illegal and health professionals could still face penalties for performing it. Baró said "it is not the Holy See that decides on this matter, the decision belongs to the Consell General," the country's parliament, and said he felt "very close" to finding an acceptable balance.

Macron backs the legislation

The debate resurfaced in April when the French president and Andorran co-prince, Emmanuel Macron, said in a speech that "many Andorrans are calling for" the decriminalization of abortion. He said "a dialogue has begun" to advance the proposal "with respect for the institutions, for everyone's conscience and for tradition." After meeting Macron, Espot said it was necessary to move forward "with realism, prudence and ambition," without giving a timetable.

Espot said the government's aim is to be sure that any legislative decision it takes, "whether or not the Holy See likes it, will not endanger our institutional system." Last year the government was also preparing a complementary bill that would keep the ban on performing abortions in Andorra but provide public funding for women who travel to France or Spain for the procedure. That proposal has not featured in the recent discussions.