When the mere mention of the words “Roe” and “Wade” is enough to fuel eons of complex debate over public policy and religion, it’s easy to feel like the United States has near-monopolistic control of the abortion dilemma. Spain’s controversial move made this week to liberalize its abortion laws reminds us that abortion polemic, like that of many landmark social issues in American politics, is something that transcends continents.

An abortion law reform was approved by Spain’s central government yesterday that will soon make the procedure available on demand for the first time – until now, abortion was only permitted following a rape or if the mother or fetus’s health was in danger. The new policies, once implemented, will likely allow women as young as 16 to obtain abortions without parental consent during the first 14 weeks of a pregnancy.

Standard opposition to the new policies has ensued, with the Catholic Church and members of conservative political parties vowing they’ll do what it takes to stop the reforms from happening. But it looks like Spain is a fast track to a new reputation, one separate from that of the Roman Catholic stronghold, thanks in large part to the progressivism of its Socialist Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.

Zapatero began his crusade for social liberalism – particularly gay and women’s rights -- by showing his ardent support for the legalization of gay marriages back in 2005. Last year he swore in a Spanish cabinet composed of nine women and eight men, making Spain the first European government in history with more women than men holding positions of power. “I am not only an anti-machoist, I am a feminist,” he said.