French President Emmanuel Macron is in the small state of Andorra for a two-day visit, where the sensitive issue of abortion is set to take centre stage. This comes on the heels of a stop in the Pyrénées to discuss economic development and healthcare.
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Macron heads south to the Pyrénées on Monday, starting his trip in Lavelanet, in the southwestern Ariège department.
He is set to inaugurate the Occitanie Géotex factory – which will produce geotextiles for construction, roads and agriculture using plant-based fibres such as hemp and locally sourced wool – and is being presented by the Élysée as a symbol of the president’s reindustrialisation strategy pursued since his first term in 2017.
Macron will also visit the Lavelanet hospital site, the first “entirely rebuilt and completed as part of the 2020 health reform plan to fight against the shortage of medical professionals in regional areas.
Macron will continue to neighbouring Andorra in his role as co-prince of the principality – a centuries-old position he shares with Bishop Josep-Lluis Serrano Pentinat of Urgell in Spain.
The unusual arrangement, rooted in medieval history, still shapes Andorra’s political life today.
Following a tradition established by Charles de Gaulle, every French president visits the principality during their term. Macron last did so in 2019, but this latest trip comes at a moment when pressure is building around abortion laws.
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Strict abortion laws
Andorra remains, alongside the Vatican, the only country in Europe where abortion is completely banned, including in cases of rape, incest or danger to the mother. Although the law provides for prison sentences for both women and doctors, no trials have ever taken place.
Prime Minister Xavier Espot Zamora has indicated he hopes to decriminalise abortion within a year, though not necessarily legalise it. The principality’s governance makes the issue particularly complex, as any reform requires agreement with the Holy See.
As Espot has noted, the restriction is tied less to societal attitudes than to institutional constraints – namely that one of the country’s heads of state is a Catholic bishop.
The French president is expected to address the matter directly, both in a speech to the Andorran people and in talks with his co-prince and the head of government. The Élysée has said he will raise the issue frankly, stressing his long-standing support for women’s right to control their own bodies.
France reinforced that stance in 2024 by becoming the first country to enshrine abortion rights in its Constitution – a move that adds weight to the French president’s intervention in Andorra.
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European agenda
Beyond abortion, discussions will also focus on Andorra’s proposed association agreement with the European Union, which has yet to be approved and will need to be put to a referendum.
Macron is expected to clearly encourage the principality to move forward with the deal.
Environmental questions will also feature, including a visit to a hydroelectric power plant in which EDF is considering investment, highlighting Andorra’s efforts to advance its ecological transition.
The president’s itinerary includes visits to two schools – an Andorran establishment and the French lycée Comte de Foix – as well as the Meritxell Sanctuary. He is also due to receive the Cross of the Seven Arms, the principality’s highest distinction.
Though covering less than twice the area of Marseille, Andorra has long punched above its weight economically, thanks to its ski tourism and relatively low tax regime.
Removed from the OECD’s tax haven list in 2010, it has since moved towards greater transparency, while maintaining lower tax rates than the EU average.
(with newswires)
