French lawmakers have approved a bill that will enshrine the right to an abortion in the Constitution.This makes France the first country to constitutionally safeguard the right to abortion.
France has become the first country in the world to explicitly include the right to abortion in its constitution. Parliamentarians voted to revise the country’s 1958 constitution to enshrine women’s “guaranteed freedom” to abort.
The overwhelming 780-72 vote saw a standing ovation in the parliament in Versailles when the result was announced.
President Emmanuel Macron described the move as “French pride” that had sent a “universal message.” Following the vote, the Eiffel Tower in Paris was lit up in celebration, with the message: “My Body My Choice.”
Before the vote, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal told parliament that the right to abortion remained “in danger” and “at the mercy of decision makers”.
“We’re sending a message to all women: your body belongs to you and no one can decide for you,” he added.
Prompted by recent developments in the US
Abortion has been legal in France since 1975, but polls show around 85% of the public supported amending the constitution to protect the right to end a pregnancy.
Although anti-abortion groups have strongly criticised the change, as has the Vatican, resistance from right-wingers in parliament failed to materialise.
The constitutional change was prompted by recent developments in the US, where the right to abortion was removed by the Supreme Court in 2022. Individual states are now able to ban the procedure again, ending the right to an abortion for millions of women.