Emmanuel Macron is visiting Andorra - and not just as the president of France. In one of the most delightfully bizarre constitutional arrangements still functioning in the 21st century, Macron is also the co-Prince of Andorra, a role he inherited automatically upon becoming French head of state. Think of it like a very serious, nuclear-armed HOA president who also technically rules your neighbour's garden.
According to The Guardian, Macron is expected to use this visit to push Andorra toward decriminalising abortion - a topic where the tiny Pyrenean microstate remains one of the strictest holdouts in Europe. Andorra currently has some of the most restrictive abortion laws on the continent, with the procedure essentially banned under most circumstances.
A feudal relic with a very modern problem
Andorra's unusual dual-monarchy system dates back to a 1278 treaty. The country is technically co-ruled by the French head of state and the Bishop of Urgell in Spain - yes, an active Catholic bishop. So the political pressure around abortion in Andorra is, shall we say, complicated. You've got one co-prince who champions progressive reproductive rights, and one co-prince who answers to the Vatican. Democracy, baby.
Macron, who has been vocal about reproductive rights in France - the country famously enshrined abortion access in its constitution in 2024 - is expected to speak frankly on the issue during his visit, per The Guardian's reporting.
Meanwhile, Macron does the thing all politicians do
In scenes that will surprise absolutely no one familiar with political optics, Macron also stopped by an Andorran primary school in Santa Coloma, where he was reportedly very enthusiastic about posing for photos with children waving Andorran flags. Co-prince behaviour, honestly.
Whether his charm offensive on abortion reform will move the needle in Andorra remains to be seen. Constitutional change in a country co-governed by a feudal French title and a Spanish bishop is not exactly known for being swift. But Macron showing up and saying the quiet part loud is, at minimum, an extraordinary use of a head of state's weekend.
The visit is being closely watched by European advocates for reproductive rights, who see Andorra as one of the last remaining symbolic holdouts in Western Europe on the issue.
