Election program: AfD wants to restrict abortions as much as possible

The talk is quite harmless about a “welcome culture for children”. What’s behind it? The Alternative for Germany wants to largely restrict abortions in the future. This is what it says on page 73 of the AfD draft program for the 2025 federal election, which has been ready since Thursday afternoon. It lies with RTL/ntv and that star before.

On the subject of abortions, the draft states literally: “When interests are carefully weighed up, abortion must remain the absolute exception, for example if there is a criminological or medical indication.” It is unclear whether further exceptions would apply to the AfD. They are not listed in the list.

The demand is justified by the fact that the right to life is “a fundamental human right”. Without this right, no other human right can be exercised. “The right to life of the unborn child is diametrically opposed to the mother’s wish for an abortion,” says the draft program.

If the AfD has its way, the consultation should primarily dissuade the expectant mother from having an abortion. Even with an unconventional method. “During pregnancy conflict counseling, the mothers should be shown ultrasound images of the child so that they are clear about the child’s developmental status,” the party’s demands say.

The AfD claims that with around 100,000 abortions reported in Germany every year, the children’s right to life is neither adequately protected nor are pregnant women adequately informed about the serious consequences of abortion and about offers of help. Only 3,000 of these abortions had a criminological and medical background and would therefore be justifiable under the AfD’s reform plans.

However, this would also mean that tens of thousands of abortions per year would no longer be possible in the future. The figures on abortions in Germany listed by the AfD are largely similar to those of the Federal Statistical Office.

With the demand, the party would toughen its stance compared to the basic program adopted in 2016. “The AfD stands for a culture of life and is of the opinion, in accordance with German jurisprudence, that the protection of life begins with the embryo. We therefore demand that the primary goal of counseling during pregnancy conflicts is the protection of unborn life,” says it there. There is no talk of an “absolute exception”. Instead, the basic program states: “Expectant parents and single women in need must be offered financial and other assistance before and after the birth so that they can decide to have their child.” Adoption procedures should be simplified in this context.

However, the AfD is not calling for the abortion paragraph in the law to be tightened. Abortions are currently illegal according to Section 218 of the Criminal Code. In fact, an abortion in the first twelve weeks remains unpunished if the woman seeks advice beforehand. Abortion also remains unpunished if there are medical reasons or if it is carried out because of rape.

The abolition of the paragraph has been debated for years. MPs from several parliamentary groups want to achieve the legalization of abortions in the first three months before the federal election.