KDH Rejects EU Plan to Fund 'Abortion Tourism' via ESF+

Bratislava, 26 February (TASR) - The opposition's Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) disagrees with the European Commission's (EC) intention to allow member states to voluntarily participate in financing so-called abortion tourism from the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) in the current and upcoming budget periods, TASR learnt from the party's press department on Thursday. According to KDH, such funding is contrary to the EU's founding treaties. The plan is the EC's response to the European citizens' initiative My Voice, My Choice. According to KDH, the Union is treading on very thin ice, even though the EC has not proposed new legislation or a new fund for this purpose, as originally requested by the initiative's organisers. "Ideologies must not rewrite the treaties on which the European Union was founded. These are meant to protect human dignity, ensure security and create economic goods for EU citizens," said KDH MEP Miriam Lexmann. The Christian Democrats point out that ESF+ is the only fund dedicated to combating poverty and supporting people in difficult situations. Lexmann has repeatedly called for the new funding period to include financing for support of motherhood and pregnant women in poor social circumstances. "The Commission has washed its hands like Pontius Pilate and now it is up to the member states. We therefore call on Robert Fico (Smer-SD) and the Slovak government to clearly protect Slovakia's sovereignty and respect for the division of powers of member states under the treaties, particularly within the framework of the upcoming EU multiannual budget, which also includes ESF+," added KDH chair Milan Majersky. According to him, the EC's actions open the door to breaching the Union's founding treaties, contributing to further fragmentation of European unity, which is currently needed. On Thursday in Brussels, the Commission announced that member states may use the existing ESF+ to support access to legally available, affordable and safe abortions for women in Europe. It was responding to the citizens' initiative "My Voice, My Choice: For Safe and Accessible Abortion", which collected more than one million signatures and was also backed by the European Parliament in December. mf