French lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a bill to enshrine abortion rights in the country’s constitution.
The vote, which took place at a joint session of Parliament at the Palace of Versailles, passed by a margin of 780-72. The move makes France the first country in the world to explicitly protect the right to terminate a pregnancy in its basic law.
“France is at the forefront,” said Yael Braun-Pivet, the head of the lower house of Parliament. “I’m proud of this Congress, which will say that the right to get an abortion will now be part of our basic law.”
The decision to enshrine abortion rights in the constitution comes amid growing concerns about a potential rollback of abortion rights in the United States. In recent months, several US states have passed restrictive abortion laws, and the Supreme Court is poised to hear a case that could overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide.
French President Emmanuel Macron has said that enshrining abortion rights in the constitution is a “powerful message” to women in France and around the world. “It is a message of protection, of progress, and of freedom,” he said.
The move has been hailed by women’s rights groups, who say it will help to ensure that abortion rights are protected in France for years to come. “This is a historic victory for women’s rights in France,” said Amnesty International France. “It sends a strong message that women’s bodies are their own, and that they have the right to make decisions about their own reproductive health.”
However, the decision has also been criticized by anti-abortion groups, who say it is an attack on the rights of the unborn. “This is a dark day for France,” said the Alliance Générale Anti-Avortement. “The decision to enshrine abortion rights in the constitution is a rejection of the fundamental right to life.”
