Prince Alois withheld his sanction from a bill that would decriminalise abortion up to 12 weeks, passed by parliament 13 to 12 on 2 September 2026. He had six months from that vote to sign or veto it.
The veto is the first Alois has used since his father handed over his functions in 2004, and the princely house says a deadline-based system does not adequately protect unborn life.
The Fristenlösung für Liechtenstein initiative began collecting signatures in February 2026 and gathered more than 4,970 signatures, against the 1,000 required for parliament.
Initiative leader Tatjana As'Ad called the situation surreal, and a demonstration is planned for Saturday, 24 October, in Vaduz.
Hereditary Prince Alois has refused to sign a bill that would have decriminalised abortion in Liechtenstein during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. The princely house said in a statement that he remains convinced a system based on deadlines does not adequately protect unborn life, which it describes as an essential legal good. The bill had passed parliament on 2 September 2026 by 13 votes to 12. It is the first veto of Alois's regency, which began in 2004 when his father, Hans-Adam II, handed over his functions. Alois had made his opposition clear well before the vote, saying in June that he would veto the reform even if it passed parliament or a referendum.
The princely house added that the prince sees room for change through targeted measures, such as lifting the advertising ban or offering support to women before, during and after pregnancy. The constitution gives the heir-regent this veto power, and a 2012 referendum confirmed it as absolute. Alois had six months from the 2 September vote to either sign the law or veto it. Liechtenstein is a small Alpine principality of about 40,000 people that combines direct democracy with a monarchy holding broad executive powers.
The reform was driven by the citizens' initiative Fristenlösung für Liechtenstein, which began collecting signatures in February 2026. It gathered more than 4,970 signatures, about a quarter of registered voters and far above the 1,000 needed to send it to parliament. The text sought to decriminalise abortion up to 12 weeks, have the procedure covered by health insurance and lift the national ban on providing information about abortion access.
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An August poll put support for the reform at 62% of voters. Parliament then approved the bill by a narrow margin on 2 September, and lawmakers rejected a national referendum on it by the same 13 to 12 count.
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Abortion remains illegal in Liechtenstein except where a woman's life or health faces a severe risk or the pregnancy results from sexual assault. Helping someone obtain an abortion can carry up to three years in prison, while a woman who induces her own abortion faces up to one year. Offering or advertising abortion services is also prohibited, but abortions carried out abroad are not punished. Women have been legally allowed to travel abroad for the procedure since 2015, mainly to Switzerland and Austria. A 2025 report by Liechtenstein's Human Rights Association estimated the number of women travelling to Switzerland for an abortion at 40. The initiative aimed to remove the barriers that come with travel, including cost, arranging childcare and not having a vehicle.
Tatjana As'Ad, who led the initiative and works for the small leftwing party Free List, said the group had expected the outcome but still felt let down.
“We're not really surprised, but still disappointed.”
She argued that the veto would do little to prevent abortions, only push them to other countries.
“It's surreal what's happening right now in 2026 in a state in the middle of Europe.”
The initiators said a single person was overriding a decision backed by nearly a quarter of voters and passed by parliament, and they announced further actions. A demonstration is planned for Saturday, 24 October, in Vaduz, the capital.
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Hereditary Prince Alois has blocked a bill that would have decriminalised abortion up to 12 weeks, after parliament passed it 13 to 12 on 2 September. The veto is the first of his regency, which began in 2004.
AI text based on reports by EL PAÍS, HotNews.ro, RTP and other publishers. Published .