French MPs vote for enshrining abortion in constitution
A demonstrator holds a placard which reads "My body, My choice" as she takes part in an abortion rights rally. Photo AFP, Charly Triballeau
Western Europe
A large majority of the members of the lower house of the French parliament have voted to enshrine abortion rights in the constitution.
The bill will now be submitted to the conservative-dominated upper house, where approval is far from certain. Should it receive it, another referendum will be organised on the issue.
The initiative by President Emmanuel Macron's Renaissance Party and the radical left party La France Insoumise was prompted by the US Supreme Court's decision to overturn the nationwide right to abortion in the US and the far-reaching curtailment of abortion rights in Poland. Constitutionalisation should prevent something similar from happening in France. However, many conservative and Catholic politicians doubt the proposal given the already existing legal protections.
Many conservative and Catholic politicians had announced their misgivings about the abortion change, seeing it as unnecessary given the legal protections already in place in France. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, whose National Rally is the biggest single opposition party in parliament, had called it "totally misplaced" earlier this week because abortion rights were not under threat in France. This reports France24. She missed the vote on Thursday "for medical reasons", a spokesperson said.
Abortion was legalised in France in 1974. Since February, termination of pregnancy has been legal until 14 weeks after conception, two weeks longer than before.
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