France becomes the first country to constitutionalize the right to abortion
French President Emmanuel Macron labeled the move as a sign of a “universal message” and “French pride.” He also revealed that a special public ceremony will be organized to commemorate the change, which will take place on International Women’s Day on March 8.
Paris: On Monday, March 4, France became the first country in the world to include the right to abortion in its constitution. This happened after parliament approved an article that gave women the “guaranteed freedom” to follow the medical procedure necessary to terminate the pregnancy.
With 780 votes in favor and 72 against, the proposal received the three-fifths supermajority French parliamentarians needed to pass the amendment during a combined session of the House of Representatives and Senate at the Palace of Versailles.
Approval by majority
The majority of French parliamentarians at the joint session welcomed with loud cheers, cheers and standing ovations the final approval needed to make the “right to abortion” an official protection in the country’s constitution.
After the referendum, abortion rights activists gathered in central Paris to celebrate the change, cheering as the Eiffel Tower lit up to commemorate the occasion and proclaiming “MyBodyMyChoice.”
Compared to most other countries, France has a higher acceptance rate for abortion rights, with recent surveys showing that 80% of French citizens support the legalization of the procedure.
‘French pride’
“French pride” is how President Emmanuel Macron characterized the action, adding that it sends a “universal message.” He also announced that a unique public event in honor of the move will take place on March 8, International Women’s Day.
Article 34 of the French Constitution now states that “the law determines the circumstances under which a woman is guaranteed the freedom to have an abortion.”
Right to abortion: a fundamental step
In an attempt to convince MPs to approve the measure, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said before the vote: “We are sending a message to all women: your body is yours and no one can decide for you.” This is a “fundamental step… A step that will go down in history.”
The National Assembly and Senate previously approved the legislation. Joint sessions are not common, especially in France. Monday’s meeting marks the first time the constitution has been amended since 2008.
As the French public strongly supports the right to abortion, right-wing leader Marine Le Pen has accused Macron of introducing the law to score political points.
Exaggerated by the right to abortion
Ahead of Monday’s vote, Le Pen told reporters: “We will vote to include it in the Constitution because we have no problem with that.” However, she also criticized the idea as exaggerated because “no one in France is endangering the right to abortion.”
The French Prime Minister discussed in his speech how the right to abortion is still “in danger” worldwide. “You can go from one thing to the opposite in one generation, one year or one week,” Attal noted, referring to rights reversals in the US, Hungary and Poland.
What led to the inclusion of this right in the French Constitution?
However, activists in France put pressure on French lawmakers after the US Supreme Court decided in 2022 to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision, which recognized a woman’s right to abortion as a fundamental right.
“In the US, the right to abortion has declined. So nothing made us believe that France was immune to this danger,” said Laura Slimani, a rights activist at the Fondation des Femmes, as quoted by Reuters.
Protests against the law
Protesters opposed to abortion gathered in Versailles, close to the palace, to oppose the measure.
According to reports, Association of Catholic Families president Pascale Moriniere said the decision was a setback for pro-life activists.
It is also a setback for women… and of course for all the children who will not live to see the day,” she noted.