Liechtenstein’s prince vetoes abortion reform in his first use of the veto

The initiative sought to decriminalize abortion up to 12 weeks

Hereditary Prince Alois used the first veto of his reign to quash a bill Liechtenstein’s parliament had approved to reform abortion law. The bill aimed to bring the principality’s abortion laws in line with much of Europe, and parliamentarians backed it narrowly after a citizens’ initiative drew support from roughly a quarter of the nation’s voters.

Launched in February, the citizens’ initiative called for decriminalizing abortion up to 12 weeks, covering the procedure through health insurance and repealing a nationwide ban on sharing information about abortion access. More than 4,970 people backed the call, far more than the 1,000 signatures needed to send it to parliament.

Liechtenstein is home to some of the strictest abortion laws in Europe. Abortions are allowed only in limited circumstances, including when a woman’s life is at risk or when a pregnancy is the result of rape. Since 2015, women have been legally permitted to travel abroad to terminate a pregnancy and skirt around the restrictions.

Tatjana As’Ad, who led the initiative and works for the small leftwing party Free List, said, “We’re not really surprised, but still disappointed,” and added, “It’s surreal what’s happening right now in 2026 in a state in the middle of Europe.”

As’Ad said the veto would do little to prevent abortions. “Liechtenstein will continue to have a situation where abortions are banned, but we know they’re happening. The veto just means they will continue to take place abroad.”

The initiative sought to remove barriers that women face when forced to travel abroad, often to neighboring Austria or Switzerland. The barriers include the cost of travel, the need to arrange childcare and the lack of a vehicle.

As the initiative gained steam, Alois said he would use his veto to counter any overhaul of the laws. Parliamentarians voted narrowly to back the bill, and an August poll suggested that 62% of voters were in favor of reforming the law.

The royal house confirmed Alois’s decision to “withhold his sanction from the bill.” Its statement said, “Following careful consideration, he remains convinced that the proposed reform is not compatible with ensuring adequate protection of unborn life as a fundamental legal value.” The royal house did not respond to a further request for comment.

Campaigners, who said they had met Alois hours before he announced the decision, described it as a blow to Liechtenstein’s identity as a monarchy underpinned by democratic principles. The committee behind the citizens’ initiative said, “A single individual is overriding a decision initiated by almost a quarter of eligible voters and passed by the parliament.”

The committee statement said, “Hereditary Prince Alois has only threatened to veto legislation twice in his reign, and both times it concerned the legalisation of abortion,” referring to a 2011 pronouncement by the regent. It added, “This is the first time he has actually exercised this veto. The conclusion is clear: when it comes to abortion, there is only one decision-maker.”

Gabriella Alvarez-Hummel, a journalist and one of the campaigners behind the citizens’ initiative, said the ruling prince can appoint judges and fire the government or individual ministers. “He has a veto over everything, really,” she said.

Voters overwhelmingly upheld Alois’s veto powers in a 2012 referendum that was described at the time as a proxy debate over whether Liechtenstein should have a monarchy. Alvarez-Hummel called this week’s decision “very troubling,” saying that Liechtenstein was the last in Europe to grant women the right to vote in national elections in 1984. She said, “Liechtenstein has a history of being the last when it comes to women’s rights,” and added, “I had hoped that we wouldn’t be the last in abortion rights as well, but it doesn’t look good at the moment.” The campaign, she said, had made a few successes by chipping away at a decades-long taboo around discussing abortion.

Alois’s statement also said he was open to lifting the nationwide ban on information about abortion. The statement suggested that women might one day be able to consult a healthcare provider about where to access the procedure abroad and receive support afterwards.

Alvarez-Hummel estimated that 40 women a year are forced to carry out the procedure abroad. She worried that the decision could bring greater stigma and more deeply entrenched taboos. “You live in a country where it is forbidden, where the prince who lives in a castle made sure it stayed forbidden,” she said. “The one time he used his veto was against this – I can only imagine how difficult it must be for them to know this.”