"Guaranteeing Abortion Rights in the Constitution" ... French Constitutional Amendment Passed by the National Assembly

June US Supreme Court's Overturning of 'Roe v. Wade' Ruling Sparks Backlash
Progressive Coalition Pushes Forward ... Faces Republican Majority Senate Hurdle

Emmanuel Macron, President of France. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Sung-wook] A bill to guarantee abortion rights (the right to terminate a pregnancy) in the constitution has passed the French National Assembly by a large margin. However, it must still pass the Senate, where the right-wing opposition holds the majority, and then go through a national referendum before constitutional amendment can be finalized.

According to Reuters and other sources on the 24th (local time), the constitutional amendment proposed by the French left-wing coalition 'NUPES' passed the National Assembly that day. The amendment received 337 votes in favor and 32 against, securing majority support among the parliamentary seats. The centrist coalition 'Ensemble,' led by President Emmanuel Macron, played a significant role in this cooperation. The lawmakers who proposed the bill stated that the purpose was "to explicitly protect the basic right to voluntary termination of pregnancy and pregnancy avoidance in the constitution."

The push to explicitly guarantee abortion rights in French politics was ignited in June when the U.S. Supreme Court decided to overturn the 'Roe v. Wade' ruling that had protected abortion rights. At that time, President Macron criticized the decision, saying, "Abortion is a fundamental right for all women," and "The U.S. Supreme Court decision is infringing on women's freedom." Marie-Pierre Rixain, a ruling party member, said while promoting the related bill, "We will solidify abortion rights in the constitution for future generations," adding, "What happened elsewhere (in the U.S.) must not happen in France."

Abortion Legal Since 1975... Not Explicitly Stated in the Constitution

Abortion has been legal in France since 1975. However, abortion rights are not explicitly mentioned in the constitution. In the U.S., which follows case law, abortion rights were deemed constitutional by the historic 1973 'Roe v. Wade' ruling. Eric Dupond-Moretti, the centrist Minister of Justice who supports constitutional recognition of abortion rights, pointed out, "The abortion rights that we think have been secured for 50 years in the U.S. have not actually been secured in France." According to a recent survey by the French public opinion research institute Ifop, 83% of French people are satisfied with abortion being legal.

However, the amendment still faces the hurdle of passing the Senate by majority vote. Unlike the National Assembly, the Senate is dominated by the conservative Republicans, making the bill's future uncertain. Previously, another constitutional amendment aimed at guaranteeing abortion rights was put to a vote last month but was rejected with 139 votes in favor and 172 against. Sasha Uli?e, a ruling party member and chair of the National Assembly's Legislation Committee, said, "We have made great progress in the National Assembly, but this is only the first step, and we must overcome the big challenge of persuading the Senate."

Mathilde Panot, an LFI lawmaker who proposed the current amendment, said, "The effort to include abortion rights in the constitution is a measure to prevent regression," adding, "We do not want to give any room to those who oppose abortion." Panot said, "If abortion rights are included in the constitution, France will become a pioneer in women's rights," and expressed her wish to share the joy of the amendment passing the National Assembly with women in Hungary, Poland, and the U.S., where abortion is difficult to access.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.