Politics with Conscience

In recent days, two world leaders have taken a strong stand for life against the majority; they are exceptional in resisting the gathering momentum in legislation liberalizing abortion and euthanasia. For these men, conscience is applied to matters of state and not left home in the top dresser drawer.

When the Grand Duke of Luxembourg opposed a new euthanasia bill in his country, the parliament moved to negate his traditional prerogative to veto the bill. Stefan McDaniel notes:

Thus the last non-ceremonial political act by the last Grand Duke of Europe was in defense of human life. You don’t have to be a sentimentalist about Christendom to think that a splendid way to make your exit. (First Things)

Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez, a leftist and a physician, vetoed an abortion bill last month. He subsequently left the socialist party over the issue.

In November, the Uruguayan Senate voted by 17 votes to 13 to make abortion legal if there was a health risk to the mother or foetus.

The bill would also have allowed a woman to end her pregnancy in the first 12 weeks under other circumstances, such as extreme poverty.

But centre-left Mr Vazquez, who is also a doctor, vetoed the bill, saying it was more important to provide support for women with unwanted pregnancies than to enable them to have abortions.