“Defending life is not a step backward — it is the foundation of every civilisation.”
As pro-abortion lobbies push European governments to make abortion a constitutional right, Life Network Foundation Malta stands with campaigners across Europe who are calling for real policies that help women choose life.
At a packed event in Brussels on the 15th October, 2025, promoting Maternity Support in Europe, hosted by the One of Us Federation, and the European Conservatives and Reformists Group — doctors, MEPs, and attendees from twenty countries heard moving stories of courage and conviction. Their message was clear: Europe must recognise motherhood as a fundamental right worth defending.
The President of the One of Us Federation, Former European Commissioner Prof Tonio Borg opened the conference with a call for the European Union to prioritise real support for women:
“We want motherhood to be a protected good, not a burden. If Europe wants to defend freedom, it must begin by protecting life.”
Eight MEPs from 6 different countries were speakers, including
Maltese MEP Peter Agius affirmed the importance of respecting national sovereignity and conscience, warning that the push to include abortion in the European Charter of Fundamental Rights would be “a direct violation of the sovereignty of Member States and of freedom of conscience,” MEP Laurence Trochu, who said that “We are here to fight a political and moral battle on the side of life” and MEP Miriam Lexmann , who highlighted that “Defending life is not extremism, it’s humanity!”
Testimonies from women in France, Italy, and the Netherlands revealed a painful truth:
That thousands of women across Europe do not freely choose abortion — they turn to it because they lack support. One young Dutch mother shared how, when pressured to abort, she was greeted with “congratulations” instead of “what are you going to do?”, no words that could give her the hope she needed to continue her pregnancy.
Speakers urged the EU to translate Article 33 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, which guarantees maternity protection, into concrete measures: housing aid, counselling, job protection, and funding for maternity homes that accompany mothers in need.
Life Network Foundation Malta echoes this call for justice and compassion:
Conference attendee, Dr Miriam Sciberras, CEO of Life Network Foundation said that “Malta has always stood firm in protecting both mother and child. But true protection means going further, by investing in networks that empower women, not abandon them. Every woman deserves to be told she is capable, that her child is welcome, and that she will not face the maternity journey alone.”
As Europe debates the meaning of rights and freedoms, Life-Network Foundation reminds policymakers that a society that fails to protect motherhood fails to protect its future.
Defending life is not a step backward it is the beginning of every civilisation. Malta must continue to lead by example: a nation that safeguards the most vulnerable and stands unashamedly for life.
Dr. Miriam Sciberras
