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“This is no longer a battle, it’s a victory,” said Sen. Melanie Vogel, one of the bill’s main sponsors. “This is an extraordinary message from France.”
“There are days that commemorate the history of our country’s politics and parliament. This day is one of them,” says France’s new prime minister. Gabriel Attal wrote: With X.
The proposed changes to France’s constitution are a direct response to overturning a 2022 ruling by the Federal Supreme Court. Roe vs. Wade.
In introducing the French bill in plain language, he did not hesitate to point to events in the United States as the impetus. Under the question “Why this sentence?”, read “In the United States, a June 24, 2022 Supreme Court decision called abortion rights into question at the federal level. In other countries, especially in Europe, , “Certain movements seek to restrict abortion rights,” Abortion and Contraception. ”
French citizens overwhelmingly support the right to abortion, and abortion is legal for any reason up to the 14th week of pregnancy. But the U.S. court ruling and subsequent state bans have prompted activists in France and abroad to further defend their rights.
In the UK, Labor MP Diana Johnson is pushing for a vote in parliament next month that could decriminalize abortion. In England and Wales, women who have abortions outside of certain circumstances can be jailed under Victorian-era laws. Although convictions are rare, activists want the law to be taken off the books. Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke out about the “harsh message” sent by the Supreme Court’s decision.
Mathilde Philippe-Gay, a law professor at Université Jean Moulin Lyon III, said French activists are calling for constitutional reform because “abortion rights will be threatened around the world and in Europe if a far-right government is elected.” He said that
“Everyone knows that there can be a change of government in France and that France can win the next election.” [Marine] Mr. Le Pen. “She’s not against abortion, but her party is traditionally against abortion, and far-right movements are traditionally against abortion rights,” said Philip Gay. . “So, that doesn’t matter now, but this is a reaction to what happened in the United States and the far-right political elections in Europe.”
Poland is the most prominent example of European countries moving to further restrict abortion, and the country’s new centrist government faces challenges in trying to lift a near-total ban.
Abortion activists are closely monitoring efforts in France.
Last month, members of France’s lower house of parliament voted 493-30 in favor of President Emmanuel Macron’s government’s proposal.
But while the vote in parliament benefited from support from Macron’s centrist minority coalition and left-wing opposition parties, approval in the upper house, where right-wing lawmakers have more power, will always be difficult.
Some senators expressed concerns about the bill’s language. In the 2022 debate, the House of Representatives supported the term “rights,” while the Senate favored “freedoms.” Activists argued that the “right” to abortion was a stronger term than “freedom” because it forced the state to provide the necessary measures for abortion. The government favored the term ‘guarantee of freedom’, but this seemed to be a middle ground. This was the language the Senate supported on Wednesday.
“Tonight, the Senate wrote a new page on women’s rights. This vote is historic,” said Justice Minister Eric Dupont Moretti. “We will be the first country in the world to enshrine this freedom for women to control their own bodies in our constitution. This vote essentially reiterates to those who don’t already know that women in our country are free. This vote shows once again how attached we all are to this freedom.”
President Macron, who is scheduled to give a speech on abortion next week, appeared to be putting some of his celebrations on hold.
“The Senate has taken a decisive step and we welcome it.” He said, announces a special legislative session for Monday. He reiterated his previous pledge, saying, “I am committed to making a woman’s freedom to have an abortion irrevocable by enshrining it in the Constitution.”
Analysts said a special session of Congress is likely to support the proposal. “In politics, you never know. But it would be a big surprise if this document was not adopted,” said Philip Gay.
Laura ShulmanAn advocate for Amnesty International in Paris posted a photo of a womb with a French flag and wrote to X: “A historic opportunity for France to stand by women and a hope for abortion rights defenders around the world.”
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