French lawmakers pass landmark bill on Abortion rights

It was heading for this point eventually.

French lawmakers have passed a landmark bill that enshrines abortion as a constitutional right for women in the country, marking a significant step forward for women’s reproductive rights.

In a resounding vote of 780-72 on Monday, the bill received overwhelming support from nearly the entire joint session of parliament, prompting jubilant celebrations across France.

The measure, promised by President Emmanuel Macron in response to abortion rights challenges in the United States, garnered widespread acclaim from women’s rights activists.

Both chambers of parliament, the National Assembly and the Senate, had previously endorsed the bill, which seeks to amend Article 34 of the French Constitution to explicitly guarantee a woman’s right to choose abortion.

Ahead of the historic vote, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal addressed the gathered lawmakers in Versailles, urging them to position France as a global leader in women’s rights advocacy. Attal emphasized the moral imperative of recognizing and safeguarding women’s autonomy, paying tribute to Simone Veil, a pioneering legislator and feminist icon who spearheaded the decriminalization of abortion in France in 1975.

“The time has come for us to rewrite history,” Attal declared passionately, invoking Veil’s legacy and rallying support for the bill amidst a standing ovation.

Following overwhelming approval from the National Assembly in January, the Senate’s endorsement on Wednesday marked a pivotal milestone in advancing the legislation proposed by Macron’s government. The bill aims to solidify “a woman’s right to have an abortion as irreversible.”

However, the measure still awaits final approval by a three-fifths majority in the joint session of parliament.

While none of France’s major political parties have contested the right to abortion, including Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally party and the conservative Republicans, some lawmakers have previously opposed enshrining abortion rights in the constitution.

Le Pen, whose party secured a record number of seats in the National Assembly two years ago, announced her party’s support for the bill while downplaying the significance of the occasion, stating, “there is no need to make this a historic day.”