Abortion in Argentina delayed - Patience and speed needed

Like Ireland, Argentina has been polarised by moves to decriminalise abortion — even if our two-to-one vote suggests strong dissent rather than absolute polarisation.

Like Ireland once was, Argentina’s laws remain influenced, though to an ever declining degree, by the tenets of Catholicism.

The country’s lower house has passed a measure legalising abortion and President Mauricio Macri had said he would sign it.

However, after more than 15 hours of debate, the Argentine upper house voted 38/31 against a bill legalising abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.

The vote, in the avowedly conservative senate, means that abortion is only legal in the cases of rape or danger to the life of the woman.

Pro-abortion campaigners insist the senate vote is a Pyrrhic victory and that it is only a matter of time before legislative change facilitating abortion is finalised. That opinion echoes our history but it also sounds a warning.

Though the vote to reject the Eighth Amendment was seismic, turning that endorsement into workable legislation is another matter altogether.

Just as those who voted for abortion will be frustrated by the slow pace of change, some of those who voted to retain the Eighth will do all they can to frustrate it — and the democratically expressed will of the electorate.

Despite that, the debate in Ireland is over and all democrats are obliged to ensure that the will of the majority is accurately and quickly reflected in legislation.