An open letter to President Ursula van der Leyen and members of the European Commission
Published in Politico Europe
February 25, 2026
Dear President van der Leyen and members of the European Commission,
In the coming days, you will decide whether Europe honors one of the most inspiring democratic movements in its history — or lets an extraordinary expression of citizen power go unanswered.
Three years ago, a small group of young women in Slovenia launched My Voice, My Choice with a simple conviction: that every woman in Europe deserves the right to safe and accessible abortion care. Against the odds, they built a Europe-wide movement that united over 1.2 million citizens across all member states and brought their demand to the heart of European democracy.
Last December, the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of their proposal —affirming what this campaign has always stood for: that equality, dignity, and bodily autonomy are not privileges but fundamental rights.
The European Parliament has spoken; now the European Commission has the opportunity to act.
At a time when women’s rights are under attack and many have lost faith in collective action, My Voice, My Choice shows what courage, persistence, and solidarity can achieve.[ It reminds us that democratic engagement is alive — and that young people, especially young women, are still leading the fight for a more just and equal Europe.
The European Commission has the opportunity to turn this historic grassroots effort into lasting policy — to prove that when citizens speak, Europe listens.
We urge you to act with the same hope and determination that brought millions together for this cause. The world is watching, not only to see what decision you make, but also to see whether Europe continues to lead on equality, democracy, and the rights of women.
In solidarity,
Jacques Audiard, Film Director
Tarana Burke, Founder, ‘me too’ Movement
Sophia Bush, Actor & Activist
Martin Chungong, Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union
Helen Clark, 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand, Former Administrator of United Nations Development Programme
Hillary Rodham Clinton, Former U.S. Secretary of State
Mati Diop, Actor & Director
Virginie Efira, Actor
Dalia Grybauskaitė, Former President of Lithuania
Geeta Rao Gupta, Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues
Tarja Halonen, Former President of Finland
Arthur Harari, Film Director
Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Former Prime Minister of Iceland
Sanna Marin, Former Prime Minister of Finland
Beatriz Merino, Former Prime Minister of Peru
Alyssa Milano, Actor & UNICEF Ambassador
Alyse Nelson, President & CEO, Vital Voices Global Partnership
Mary Robinson, Former President of Ireland, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Anja Rubik, Model, Philanthropist, Founder of Sexedpl Foundation
Mark Ruffalo, Actor & Advocate
Daniel Sachs, Investor and Philanthropist
Niels Schneider, Actor
Gloria Steinem, Author & Feminist Organizer
Justine Triet, Film Director
Justin Trudeau, Former Prime Minister of Canada
Diane von Furstenberg, Fashion Designer, Author and Philanthropist
Mabel van Oranje, Human Rights Activist
Join the My Voice, My Choice Movement
Follow the Movement
Follow us @vitalvoices and @myvoicemychoiceorg to stay in touch with the movement.
Learn More About Nika Kovač – Global Leadership Awards Honoree
Nika Kovač is the coordinator of the campaign @myvoicemychoiceorg, and founding director of The Research Institute of 8th March, a movement-building organization that uses storytelling and advocacy to confront gender and economic inequalities across Slovenia.