Luxembourg enshrines right to abortion in its constitution

According to the Luxembourg Times, the Luxembourg Parliament approved a constitutional amendment on Tuesday that enshrines the freedom to choose abortion. The country has thus become the second in the world to enshrine the freedom to have an abortion in its constitution. France took this step in 2024.

The amendment is also a response to the 2022 US Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed access to abortion throughout the country.

Of the 60 members of parliament, 56 took part in the vote. Forty-eight lawmakers supported the constitutional amendment, six voted against it and two abstained.

The proposal to enshrine abortion in the constitution was submitted in 2024 by the left-wing party déi Lénk. It was submitted in May 2025 and approved in June by the Council of State, which reviews laws in Luxembourg for their constitutionality.

During the legislative process, the original wording of the proposal was changed. Instead of the ‘right’ to abortion, the constitution now enshrines the ‘freedom’ to have an abortion. Members of parliament explained that the constitution contains both rights and freedoms, with freedoms meaning the absence of state interference, while rights impose specific obligations on the state.

The freedom to have an abortion guarantees women access to the procedure, which remains regulated by law.

(max)