An anti-abortion banner has been hung in Strasbourg, prompting strong reactions from MP Annika Strandhäll (S). She views it as an attack on women's rights and links it to the Sweden Democrats' policies in Europe. The party denies any involvement in the initiative.
Amid ongoing debates on abortion rights in the EU, a banner reading ”It’s a life, not a choice” – in Swedish ”Det är ett liv, inte ett val” – has been erected in Strasbourg. The banner, apparently from the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, is positioned opposite a prior pro-choice banner from the left-wing group The Left, displayed in December with the message ”My voice, my choice”.
MP Annika Strandhäll (S) has voiced sharp criticism of the new banner, calling it ”a frontal assault on women's freedom” and ”something quite extreme”. She directs her comments at the Sweden Democrats, who are part of ECR and hold a prominent position via member Charlie Weimers. ”This is the kind of politics the Sweden Democrats promote in Europe”, Strandhäll states. She notes that Sweden is pushing for constitutional protection of abortion rights in parliament, making the initiative particularly serious.
The Sweden Democrats reject the association. Press secretary Linn Hägg states that the banner stems from an individual EU parliamentarian's initiative and is not endorsed by the party or the ECR group. ”The Sweden Democrats' stance on abortion is well-known: we support Swedish abortion legislation”, she emphasizes. Although ECR appears on the banner, Hägg stresses that the action was not internally coordinated.
