France enshrines abortion rights in constitution

What happened?

French lawmakers approved a constitutional amendment Monday declaring abortion a "guaranteed freedom." With the 780-27 vote, France became the first country to explicitly enshrine abortion rights in its constitution.

Who said what?

"We're sending a message to all women: Your body belongs to you, and no one can decide for you," Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said. French President Emmanuel Macron called the "new freedom" a mark of "French pride." In opposition, the Vatican said "there can be no 'right' to take a human life."

The commentary

Abortion, legal in France since 1975, is freely available through 14 weeks, and the French view it as "a basic public health service," not something "politically charged and highly divisive" like in the U.S., The New York Times said. Macron and the lawmakers behind the amendment called it a response to the U.S. Supreme Court striking down Roe v. Wade.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

What next?

Macron will sign the bill on Friday, International Women's Day, at a public ceremony. After that, future governments will not be able to drastically curtail abortion rights.