France enshrines abortion in constitution

Both chambers of Parliament met in a joint session on Monday at the Palace of Versailles for a final three-fifths vote of approval on amending Article 34 of the French constitution to guarantee abortions. President Emmanuel Macron joined lawmakers, along with the newly appointed Prime Minister Gabriel Attal. After a landslide vote of approval, France is now the first country in decades to explicitly guarantee abortion access in its national constitution. Lawmakers cited the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade as a reason for the amendment, reasoning that if abortion is not guaranteed in the United States, it’s not guaranteed anywhere.

Macron took to social media after the vote, posting, “Let us celebrate together the entry of a new freedom.” The amendment was praised across the country. Crowds gathered in front of the Eiffel Tower, where the phrase “My body, my choice” was projected in celebration.

Did the passage have any pushback? The measure passed in a 780-72 vote. The French Bishops’ Conference spoke against the measure before it passed, insisting that abortion “remains an attack on life” and it “cannot be seen from the sole angle of women's rights.” The conference further noted sadness that lawmakers did not discuss measures to help parents who want to keep their children.

What kind of abortion is protected now? The amendment guarantees legal access to abortion but establishes that “the law determines the conditions” under which the procedure can take place. Whatever statutes on abortion are passed by legislatures will be automatically protected. Current French law only protects babies from being aborted after 14 weeks of gestation. Abortions after 14 weeks are permitted if the woman's health is at risk or the baby develops severe abnormalities.

Dig deeper: Read Chiara Lamberti’s report in WORLD Magazine about why having children in Italy is countercultural.