Study shows how reproductive health and rights are targeted in the EU – and it undermines democracy
In 2023, an open letter by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) cited the potential for “foreign interference in European policymaking”. The new study conducted at Tampere University confirms their concerns, and furthermore, links them with the broader conservative movement which has been shown to infiltrate democratic decision-making bodies and attempt to weaken and water down the resulting agreements and resolutions.
“One of the core findings was the entanglement of conservative civil society organisations with MEPs and member state representatives, which enables direct access to influence EU level discussions and to submit their own texts for discussion,” says Lynda Gilby from Tampere University.
“Some of these organisations have also successfully applied for EU funds, which have then been used to host international events against abortion, and train future lobbyists on, for example, the topics of ‘freedom, family and life’,” Gilby adds.
The research also brings up novel insights by showing the overlap of political projects, including right-wing populists, ultra-nationalists, and libertarians around three core issues of opposition: reproductive rights, climate change denial, and the anti-vaccination sentiment. All this impacts public health and poses challenges for global governance. This was seen in the statements submitted by opposition MEPs in the European Parliament (EP), outlined in reports, and confirmed by the observations of key informants.
Overall, as well as highlighting the issue of foreign interference, the study demonstrates how opposition to reproductive rights is used as a political tool as part of a broader anti-democratic movement and calls for further analysis of the ways in which these global networks impact health-related topics.
The study highlights the dangers of this opposition - not only for democracy, but for health - and discusses the impacts of abortion bans on the increasing rates of maternal mortality and morbidity.
The study analyses the lobbying and influencing strategies of outside actors
The research included an analysis of the EP’s debates, European Council conclusions, reports from global and regional organisations, and interviews with key informants in civil society, government officials, and members of international organisations across the EU. The analysis resulted in identifying a toolbox of strategies, which enables the further understanding of the lobbying and influencing strategies of outside actors as they push their own agendas to EU’s decision-making on topics that impact health.
The research article is part of the doctoral project of MHSc Lynda Gilby, which analyses the impact of opposition to sexual and reproductive health and rights on international decision-making fora, including the United Nations and EU institutions, and the effects this has on reaching United Nations targets on universal health coverage and gender equality. The doctoral project is supervised by the co-author, Meri Koivusalo, Professor of Global Health and Development at Tampere University, as well as Johanna Kantola, Professor of European Societies and their Politics at the University of Helsinki.
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The research article authored by Lynda Gilby and Meri Koivusalo: “It’s very much part of this movement to undermine democracy”: A qualitative study of European Union level opposition strategies against reproductive health and rights” was published in the Social Science and Medicine journal in August 2024.
Enquiries
Doctoral Researcher Lynda Gilby
lynda.gilby [at] tuni.fi (lynda[dot]gilby[at]tuni[dot]fi)
Professor Meri Koivusalo
meri.koivusalo [at] tuni.fi (meri[dot]koivusalo[at]tuni[dot]fi)
