Law Permitting Abortions Prompts Belgian King to Resign Temporarily
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BRUSSELS — King Baudouin, a devout Roman Catholic, stepped down temporarily Wednesday rather than sign into law a bill ending Belgium’s 123-year ban on abortion.
After relieving the king as head of state, the government enacted the abortion bill and asked Parliament to restore him as monarch at a special session today.
The unusual move, made at the 59-year-old king’s request, let the government enact legislation to allow abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and relieved the king of his constitutional duty to sign into law a bill he strongly opposes. Parliament adopted the bill last week.
The king’s powers are largely ceremonial. He has no real legislative powers, but under the constitution, he signs all the bills into law. In practice, the king also plays an active role behind the scenes. He has repeatedly acted to defuse disputes between Dutch- and French-speaking political parties, which often are locked in linguistic disputes.
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