It’s getting tight for abortion initiatives

Things quickly get emotional when it comes to the subject of abortion. The debate has received impetus from two sides: from the left comes the demand that abortions should go unpunished. Today, abortion is still considered a criminal offense in principle, with no penalty imposed within the first 12 weeks. The legal committee of the National Council, however, rejects the SP’s aim for impunity. The National Council is likely to decide on the advance of the Greens at the upcoming spring meeting Leonore Porch (33, VD) are located.

“Accepting the advance would be a scandal,” said Junge SVP chairman David track (28) towards the session. He wants development namely steering in another direction: Fewer – or “as few as possible” – abortions is his goal. To this end, conservative circles are currently collecting signatures for two national grassroots initiatives.

Only two-thirds together

One initiative – the «Sleep on it for once»-Initiative – wants to introduce a day for every abortion to think about it. The second – the «Save viable babies»-Initiative – wants to restrict late abortions if the child could survive outside the womb with medical help. A child can only survive from the 22nd week track. Only then will the initiative catch on. “Even then, abortions will not be completely banned,” says track. “If the woman’s life is in danger, an abortion can still take place.”

It’s the same today. However, a disability in the unborn child can nowadays also be a reason for a late abortion sometimes diagnosed late. However, with the initiative this would no longer be possible.

It is still unclear whether voters will decide on the two initiatives. The initiators still have about four months to collect 100,000 valid signatures. But it can be tight. “We each have a good two-thirds of the signatures together,” says track. That means: 60,000 to 70,000 signatures each. The second initiative is slightly behind. However, since a security pad is needed due to invalid signatures, about 120,000 signatures need to be collected.

Subject activates defensive reflexes

Collecting signatures is not that easy. That has too track experience. “The keyword abortion evokes certain defensive reflexes — many want nothing to do with the topic,” he says. “But once this initial moment of terror is overcome and you can explain our demands to people, many will sign.”

track is confident that the initiators will receive the necessary signatures in June. He does not want to answer directly whether the initiators also use paid signature collectors: “We use the usual measures,” he says simply. “It takes another effort at all levels.”

Source:Blick