Society & rights

Decriminalising abortion: where do Germany’s seven parties stand?

The statement in the quiz

Abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy should be fully legal and no longer covered by criminal law.

Background

Under Section 218 of the Criminal Code, abortion is unlawful in principle. It goes unpunished if a doctor performs it within 12 weeks of pregnancy, after mandatory counselling and a three-day wait.

Sources for the background: Federal Ministry for Family Affairs: Section 218 of the Criminal Code

At a glance

CDU/CSUAgainst
AfDAgainst
SPDFor
GreensFor
Die LinkeFor
BSWLeaning for
FDPNeutral / mixed

ForLeaning forNeutral / mixedLeaning againstAgainstNot in manifesto

Party by party

CDU/CSU Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU)

Against

Wants Section 218 to stay as it is.

From the manifesto „Paragraf 218 bleibt.“

Source: CDU/CSU manifesto for the 2025 federal election, PDF page 64

AfD Alternative for Germany

Against

Sees the rules in Section 218 as balanced and in no need of change.

From the manifesto „sind die Regelungen der §218 ff StGB ausgewogen und bedürfen keiner Änderung“

Source: AfD manifesto for the 2025 federal election, PDF page 150

SPD Social Democratic Party

For

Wants to decriminalise abortion and regulate it outside criminal law.

From the manifesto „Wir werden Schwangerschaftsabbrüche entkriminalisieren und außerhalb des Strafrechts regeln“

Source: SPD manifesto for the 2025 federal election, PDF page 48

Greens Alliance 90/The Greens

For

Wants abortion taken out of Section 218 of the Criminal Code, with early abortions legal.

From the manifesto „grundsätzlich außerhalb des Strafrechts geregelt werden“

Source: Greens manifesto for the 2025 federal election, PDF page 120

Die Linke The Left (Die Linke)

For

Wants Section 218 deleted outright and counselling made voluntary.

From the manifesto „§ 218 StGB muss ersatzlos gestrichen werden.“

Source: Die Linke manifesto for the 2025 federal election, PDF page 46

BSW BSW (Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance)

Leaning for

Wants abortion up to the 12th week to be free from punishment in principle.

From the manifesto „Das BSW fordert die grundsätzliche Straffreiheit des Schwangerschaftsabbruchs bis zur 12. Woche.“

Source: BSW manifesto for the 2025 federal election, PDF page 34

FDP Free Democratic Party

Neutral / mixed

Wants MPs to decide in a cross-party free vote, each following their conscience.

From the manifesto „im Wege von sog. fraktionsübergreifenden Gruppenanträgen mit Gewissensfreiheit für jede Abgeordnete und jeden Abgeordneten“

Source: FDP manifesto for the 2025 federal election, PDF page 29

Positions are coded on five steps: for, leaning for, neutral or mixed, leaning against, against. A party whose manifesto says nothing on the statement is marked “not in manifesto”, and the quiz leaves the statement out of that party’s score. The coding method and its checks are on the method page.

Where do you stand on this one?

This is one of the statements in the German Party Spectrum Quiz. The whole quiz takes about five minutes and shows how your views split across the seven parties, plus your place on an economic and social map. No sign-up, and we never ask who you are.

Start the quiz