On Monday, French lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a bill to include abortion rights in France’s constitution, establishing the country as the only one to explicitly protect a woman’s right to choose to end a pregnancy.
The significant proposal was put forward by President Emmanuel Macron to avoid a regression in abortion rights similar to what has occurred in the United States. The vote during a special joint session of parliament was met with a lengthy standing ovation from lawmakers.
The proposal was passed with an overwhelming majority of 780-72 votes at the Palace of Versailles. Abortion is widely supported in France across most of the political spectrum and has been legal since 1975.
Several female legislators in the hall beamed with joy as they applauded. There were joyous celebrations throughout France as women’s rights activists praised the measure announced by Macron right after the Dobbs ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022.
Both chambers of parliament, the National Assembly and the Senate, had already individually passed a bill — as necessary — to modify Article 34 of the French Constitution. The measure states that the law dictates the conditions under which women can access abortion, ensuring their freedom to do so.
The French measure is considered to be more progressive in ensuring abortion rights compared to the former Yugoslavia, where the 1974 constitution stated that “a person is free to decide on having children.” Yugoslavia dissolved in the early 1990s, and all its successor states have implemented comparable provisions in their constitutions allowing women to have an abortion, even though it is not explicitly guaranteed.
Prior to the significant vote, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal spoke to the 925 lawmakers assembled for the joint session in Versailles, urging them to position France as a champion of women’s rights and a role model for nations globally.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings