French lawmakers vote to enshrine abortion rights in constitution
France's National Assembly has overwhelmingly approved an historic bill that would enshrine a woman's right to abortion as a “guaranteed freedom” in the constitution.
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The measure became a priority for President Emmanuel Macron following a rollback of abortion rights in the United States in 2022.
The bill passed by a vote of 493 to 30, with nearly all members of Macron's minority centrist coalition and left-wing opposition parties in favour.
"Tonight, the National Assembly and the government did not miss their rendezvous with women's history," Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti said.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal hailed the vote as “a great victory for women’s rights,” while Gender Equality Minister Aurore Bergé said France was making history.
“We have a duty to press on. For our mothers who fought. For our daughters, so that they never have to fight again,” Bergé wrote on X.
Long road
Abortion in France was decriminalised under a 1975 law, but there is nothing in the constitution that would guarantee abortion rights.
Despite the bill's passage in the lower house, it is not yet guaranteed to become law. It must now move to the Senate – where it faces resistance from the conservative Republicans and the far-right National Rally.
Senate president Gérard Lacher recently voiced his opposition to the legislation on the grounds that abortion was "not threatened" in France and therefore constitutionalisation was unnecessary.
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The government chose the term “guaranteed freedom” to thread a needle between the lower house, which earlier voted to enshrine the “right” to an abortion, and the Senate, which so far has approved only “freedom” for abortion.
If approved by the upper house, a special body composed of both chambers of the parliament will meet again for its adoption. For that to happen, the bill must win a three-fifths majority vote.
Changes to the French constitution require either a referendum or approval by three-fifths of a combined vote of both chambers of parliament.
This is expected in time for International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024.
The move would make France the first country in the world to include abortion rights in its constitution.
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