French lawmakers voted 780 to 72 in favour of enshrining the right to abortion in its constitution during a joint session of Parliament at the Palace of Versailles on Monday.Becoming the first country in the world to do so, the Constitution of France now provides explicit legal protection and “guaranteed freedom” for a woman who terminates her pregnancy. After the landslide vote there was a standing ovation and uproarious applause. .The move was promised by President Emmanuel Macron after the Roe v Wade ruling was overturned in the United States, handing the decision on a woman’s right to abortion up to the states. Macron said he would make the right to abort babies “irreversible,” according to The Guardian. Enshrining it in the constitution would be a way to protect an abortion-decriminalization law that passed in France in 1975. The bill to amend Article 34 of France’s constitution to include a woman’s guaranteed right to an abortion was already passed through the upper and lower houses of parliament, the Sénat (Senate), and the Assemblée Nationale (National Assembly), and Monday’s vote was the final step to passing it into law. .“France is at the forefront,” said lower house of parliament leader Yael Braun-Pivet, according to Aljazeera. “I’m proud of this Congress, which will say that the right to get an abortion will now be part of our basic law.”Prime Minister Gabriel Attal told the crowd of supporters gathered around Congress Hall, “We are haunted by the suffering and memory of so many women who were not free. We owe a moral debt.”“We’re sending a message to all women: your body belongs to you and no one can decide for you,” he added. .Deputy of the French National Assembly Marine Le Pen slammed Macron for politicizing the issue to gain voter support. Le Pen said while she agrees with including it in the constitution, it was an exaggeration to make it appear to be a big step on Macron’s part because “no one is putting the right to abortion at risk in France.”
French lawmakers voted 780 to 72 in favour of enshrining the right to abortion in its constitution during a joint session of Parliament at the Palace of Versailles on Monday.Becoming the first country in the world to do so, the Constitution of France now provides explicit legal protection and “guaranteed freedom” for a woman who terminates her pregnancy. After the landslide vote there was a standing ovation and uproarious applause. .The move was promised by President Emmanuel Macron after the Roe v Wade ruling was overturned in the United States, handing the decision on a woman’s right to abortion up to the states. Macron said he would make the right to abort babies “irreversible,” according to The Guardian. Enshrining it in the constitution would be a way to protect an abortion-decriminalization law that passed in France in 1975. The bill to amend Article 34 of France’s constitution to include a woman’s guaranteed right to an abortion was already passed through the upper and lower houses of parliament, the Sénat (Senate), and the Assemblée Nationale (National Assembly), and Monday’s vote was the final step to passing it into law. .“France is at the forefront,” said lower house of parliament leader Yael Braun-Pivet, according to Aljazeera. “I’m proud of this Congress, which will say that the right to get an abortion will now be part of our basic law.”Prime Minister Gabriel Attal told the crowd of supporters gathered around Congress Hall, “We are haunted by the suffering and memory of so many women who were not free. We owe a moral debt.”“We’re sending a message to all women: your body belongs to you and no one can decide for you,” he added. .Deputy of the French National Assembly Marine Le Pen slammed Macron for politicizing the issue to gain voter support. Le Pen said while she agrees with including it in the constitution, it was an exaggeration to make it appear to be a big step on Macron’s part because “no one is putting the right to abortion at risk in France.”
