Crown Prince Alois of Liechtenstein. Image source: Wikimedia Commons, Presse- und Informationsamt, Vaduz.
Prince of Liechtenstein exercises His Right of Veto against Relaxation of Abortion Laws
Crown Prince and Acting Prince Alois of Liechtenstein has announced that he will use his veto to block a relaxation of the abortion law.
Abortion Legislation in Liechtenstein
Abortion is illegal in most cases in this predominantly Catholic microstate. There are a few exceptions under current legislation. Abortion is permitted only in cases of rape, where the mother’s life is at risk, or when the pregnant woman is under the age of fourteen. In all other cases, abortion is illegal in the small principality, and performing an abortion carries a prison sentence of up to one year for the person performing the abortion.
Prince Alois draws a Line once again
Since 2004, Crown Prince Alois has been the acting Prince of Liechtenstein, after his father Hans-Adam II handed over his responsibilities to him. In 2011, Prince Alois announced that, if necessary, he would use his veto against any relaxation of the abortion law. However, the referendum was subsequently rejected by 52.3 per cent of the population. Although he did not have to use his veto, the announcement of a possible veto did provoke a reaction. In 2012, abortion rights campaigners proposed restricting the right of veto. However, three-quarters of the population voted against this. Now, fourteen years later, another referendum is on the table that seeks to legalise abortion up to twelve weeks of pregnancy. Prince Alois has once again indicated that he will exercise his right of veto if necessary. According to Prince Alois, “the central legal principle of the protection of life” is not adequately upheld by any time-bound limit.
Monarchs have also offered Resistance Elsewhere
Liechtenstein is not the only European country where the monarchy forms a last bastion against the progressive agenda.
In 2025, Albert II, Prince of Monaco, refused to sign a bill passed by parliament to liberalise abortion laws. Under the Monegasque Constitution, every law requires the monarch’s signature. Without the monarch’s approval, a bill passed by parliament does not come into force. In 1990, Baudouin, the Catholic King of Belgium, refused to legalise abortion. In Belgium, however, the Constitution was temporarily circumvented. The king was declared ‘unfit to reign’ for a single day. During that period, the ministers signed the abortion bill, after which the king was reinstated the following day. In Luxembourg, the Grand Duke blocked an euthanasia bill in 2008. Parliament subsequently amended the Constitution, meaning that the monarch was no longer required to approve laws, but was only permitted to promulgate them.
Read also: How Luxembourg Shamefully Enshrined Abortion in its Constitution
The Role of a Christian Monarch
Monaco and Liechtenstein are examples of countries where the monarch is still regarded as the last line of defence against the ever-increasing liberalisation of abortion legislation. Here, the importance of a traditional and devout monarch is evident. When the spirit of the times pushes for more liberal abortion laws, the monarch is there to defend what is right and stand firm. “On such fundamental issues as the protection of life,” stated Prince Alois, “a head of state must take a clear stand and bear responsibility – even if that is the more difficult path.” Dr Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira regarded the preservation of Christian civilisation as one of the nobility’s highest duties. This means not only cherishing traditions, but also, at decisive moments, defending the Christian order against error and moral decay. Prince Alois’s actions provide a contemporary example of this.
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