Prince Albert II refuses to sign abortion bill passed by Monaco’s parliament, preserving one of Europe’s strictest pro-life laws and affirming the Principality’s Catholic heritage.
Newsroom (24/11/2025 Gaudium Press ) Prince Albert II has vetoed a bill that would have legalized abortion on demand up to 12 weeks of pregnancy in the Principality of Monaco, effectively halting one of the most significant social reforms proposed in recent years.
In an interview published Saturday by Monaco-Matin, the Sovereign Prince confirmed that he has instructed the government not to promulgate the legislation passed by the National Council in May by a 19–2 vote. “I believe the current system expresses who we are,” Prince Albert said, emphasizing the “role of the Catholic religion in our country” while providing “safe and humane support” for women in difficult situations.
The decision leaves intact Monaco’s highly restrictive framework, often described as among Europe’s most protective of unborn life. Since a 2009 law, abortion has been permitted only in cases of rape, grave danger to the mother’s life, or severe fetal malformation. A 2019 amendment decriminalized the procedure for Monegasque women who travel abroad—primarily to neighboring France—removing the threat of prosecution upon return.
The blocked bill, introduced in March 2025, would have authorized voluntary termination up to 12 weeks (or 16 weeks in cases of rape) and lowered the age for bypassing parental consent from 18 to 15.
Two weeks ago, Minister of State Christophe Mirmand formally notified National Council President Thomas Brezzo that the government, acting on the Prince’s instructions, would not pursue promulgation. Under Monaco’s 1962 Constitution, laws require the Sovereign’s signature to enter into force; unlike modern parliamentary democracies, the Prince retains an absolute veto in legislative matters.
Prince Albert acknowledged the emotional weight of the issue, stating, “I understand how sensitive this subject is, the emotion it can bring up.” He argued that reforms enacted in 2009 and 2019 already achieved “a balanced framework—one that respects Monaco’s constitutional principles, cultural identity and the women affected.”
The Constitution explicitly recognizes Roman Catholicism as the state religion, a status the Prince cited as central to his decision. “It confirms the place that the Catholic religion holds in our country,” he said.
Monaco now stands as a rare contemporary example of a European monarch directly preventing the liberalization of abortion laws. Historical parallels exist: in 1990, Belgium’s King Baudouin abdicated for 36 hours to avoid signing an abortion bill; in 2008, Luxembourg’s Grand Duke Henri refused to sanction a euthanasia law, prompting a constitutional change that stripped the monarch of the power to “sanction” legislation. Liechtenstein’s Prince Hans-Adam II has repeatedly pledged to veto any referendum legalizing abortion.
In Monaco, no such constitutional workaround was attempted. The Prince’s refusal marks the first time in modern Monegasque history that royal prerogative has been exercised to block a major social policy passed by the elected National Council.
Women’s rights advocates expressed disappointment but stopped short of calling for constitutional reform, noting the Principality’s unique political culture and the broad public deference to the Grimaldi dynasty. Pro-life organizations, meanwhile, hailed the decision as a principled defense of Monaco’s identity.
As Europe’s abortion laws have liberalized dramatically over the past three decades, the microstate of 39,000 inhabitants—where the Catholic cathedral serves as the burial place of past sovereigns including Princess Grace—remains a conspicuous outlier, its legal order still reflecting the values enshrined when Prince Rainier III promulgated the current Constitution more than six decades ago.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Catholic Herald
Related Images:
