ÖVP club chairman Jakob Wolf told APA on Tuesday that this was “not the coalition’s program”. Diocesan Bishop Hermann Glettler had previously sharply criticized the statements Pavlatas practiced.
There can be no talk of “in future being able to carry out an abortion that is not medically indicated in every hospital in Tyrol,” said Wolf, who was in charge of negotiating the government program. Bishop Glettler “doesn’t have to worry that abortion isn’t being handled carefully in Tyrol,” the club boss assured the clergyman. In the coalition, a “clear and cautious way” was agreed on, which they will adhere to “to the point and comma”. They will ensure “needs-based, low-threshold, medically high-quality access to abortions” – by expanding outpatient services in the private sector or by linking them to a “selected public facility.” At the same time, they are committed to expanding independent and transparent advice before and after the procedure, according to the black club chairman. During the consultations, attention should be paid to quality assurance. However, the principle that the decision to have an abortion is solely a highly personal decision of the woman concerned remains undisputed. He stands by that, says Wolf.
Immediately before, Glettler had taken up the issue and declared that abortions could not “be part of the state-guaranteed health care – unless the health of the mother is seriously endangered”. Pregnancy is a time of “strong physical stress, but in no case an illness,” said the bishop, who said he wanted to “put clear words” on this matter to the responsible representatives of the black-red Tyrolean state government.
ÖVP Health Minister Cornelia Hagele meanwhile said in “Tirol Live”, the online talk format of the “Tiroler Tageszeitung”, that a corresponding offer should be created. Before and after care must be guaranteed. “Having an abortion is probably one of the most difficult decisions in life. It is important to support every woman,” says Hagele.
The starting point for the reactions was an APA interview from the weekend in which Pavlata reaffirmed the line of the SPÖ for easier access to abortions. In Tyrol there is currently “only one doctor who performs abortions” and as far as he knows he will “soon retire”, argued Pavlata. She is convinced that “no woman makes this decision lightly”. You know “the two lines of argument” and the “vague wording” in the government program, but have “a clear stance on this,” said the state councilor.
SPÖ Deputy Governor Georg Dornauer recently told the APA that the coalition project in the government program on abortion is a “women’s and socio-political milestone for Tyrol” that is long overdue. The red state party leader spoke in contrast to Pavlata – and similar to Wolf – from “a public hospital” or institution in which these are to be offered.
Pavlata had also let the APA know that the abortions offered should include a counseling service, which “under no circumstances should be church-related”. This also led to sharp criticism from Bishop Glettler. This attitude makes him “sad and concerned,” said the bishop of the church newspaper “Tiroler Sonntag”. And he added: “It is an affront to all employees of church and church-related institutions who have been working for women for decades, advising them, fighting for their rights and offering them support.”
Glettler also emphasized that it was about “effective assistance” for women. The concern of the church is “not the tightening of threats of punishment, but effective and competent assistance for pregnant women who are struggling to make a good decision” and also the initiation of preventive measures. “Every pregnancy is a gift and a challenge. In conflict situations, it can become a great burden. That is why it is necessary to provide pregnant women with all the support they need – from sensitive advice that shows perspectives to financial help and a real relief in everyday life. Both the well-being of the mother and that of the child must be taken into account in any case,” the bishop said.
They demand a “careful and people-oriented approach to this sensitive topic.” Structural improvements, information about alternatives to termination and open-ended advice are urgently needed.
Source: Nachrichten
