France Set to Enshrine Right to Abortion in Constitution, a Global First
In a groundbreaking move, French lawmakers are expected to officially recognize the right to abortion in the country’s constitution. This historic decision has garnered overwhelming public support and will make France the first country in the world to constitutionally protect the right to terminate a pregnancy.
The congress of both houses of parliament in Versailles is set to convene at 3:30 pm (1430 GMT) to vote on this significant change. It is anticipated that the three-fifths majority required for the amendment will be achieved, despite initial resistance from the right-leaning Senate. President Emmanuel Macron had pledged to enshrine abortion in the constitution after the US Supreme Court overturned the long-standing right to the procedure in 2022, allowing states to impose restrictions or bans.
The lower-house National Assembly and the Senate have already overwhelmingly approved making abortion a “guaranteed freedom” in the constitution. The final step is a combined vote of both chambers during a rare joint session at the Palace of Versailles. Given the substantial support received in previous ballots, it is unlikely that the needed supermajority will pose any difficulty.
This momentous decision marks a significant milestone in the fight for women’s reproductive rights. When political campaigning began in 1971, the idea of enshrining the right to abortion in the constitution seemed unimaginable. Claudine Monteil, head of the Femmes Monde association and one of the youngest signatories of the 1971 “Manifesto of the 343,” expressed her astonishment at this progress. The manifesto was signed by 343 women who admitted to illegally terminating their pregnancies, along with hundreds of thousands of their fellow citizens each year.
Abortion was legalized in France in 1975, thanks to the efforts of health minister Simone Veil, a revered figure in women’s rights who was buried at the Pantheon after her death in 2018. However, Simone de Beauvoir had warned Monteil a year earlier that women’s rights could be called into question during times of crisis. The actions of the US Supreme Court in overturning abortion rights served as a wake-up call for women worldwide, according to Monteil.
Leah Hoctor, from the Center for Reproductive Rights, highlighted the significance of France’s move, stating that it could be the first explicit and broad constitutional provision of its kind globally. While some countries allude to the right to abortion or mention it in specific circumstances, France’s constitutional protection would be unprecedented.
The French public overwhelmingly supports this constitutional amendment, with a November 2022 survey by French polling group IFOP revealing that 86 percent of French people are in favor of inscribing the right to abortion in the constitution. Left-wing and centrist politicians have welcomed this change, while right-wing senators have privately expressed feeling pressured to support it. The personal stakes are high for some senators, with one stating that her daughters would no longer visit for Christmas if she opposed the move.
President Macron hailed the Senate’s approval as a “decisive step” and promptly called for the parliamentary congress to convene on Monday. This is only the second time such a congress has been called to amend the constitution, with the last instance occurring in 2008 under former president Nicolas Sarkozy. The 2008 reforms included limiting a president’s time in office to two terms and strengthening press independence and freedom.
France’s decision to enshrine the right to abortion in its constitution is a landmark moment for women’s rights and sets a global precedent. By taking this step, France sends a powerful message about the importance of reproductive autonomy and equality.
