Constitution
“Historic”: Abortion rights get constitutional status in France
A vote with great symbolic power: In France, the freedom to have an abortion is enshrined in the constitution. photo
© Oleg Cetinic/AP/dpa
“My body, my decision” – these words shine down from the Eiffel Tower. France writes the right to abortion into the constitution – and wants to be a role model worldwide.
The official ceremony for changing the constitution is scheduled to take place on International Women’s Day. French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “France’s pride. Universal message.”
Many also celebrated the vote as an important symbol because the options for terminating a pregnancy are being significantly restricted around the world. In the USA, the US Supreme Court overturned the federal right to abortion almost two years ago. In Poland, stricter abortion laws came into force in 2021 following a controversial ruling by the Constitutional Court. Since then, women have not been allowed to have an abortion even if an unborn child has severe malformations. However, the new Prime Minister Donald Tusk wants to relax abortion rights again.
Abortions allowed up to 14 weeks
In France, abortions up to the tenth week of pregnancy have been unpunished since 1975. Pregnant women in France can now have an abortion up to the 14th week; the costs are covered by the health insurance company. According to polls, more than 80 percent of French people supported the constitutional change.
In Germany, an abortion in the first twelve weeks remains unpunished if the woman seeks advice beforehand. However, the federal government made up of the SPD, Greens and FDP is considering deleting Section 218 from the Criminal Code.
According to broadcaster BFMTV, the words “my body, my decision” were projected onto the Eiffel Tower. Below, people cheered when the result was announced. They watched the vote on a large screen.
Vote celebrated as historic
Before the vote, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal spoke of a “moral guilt” towards all women who suffered. “We are haunted by the suffering and the memory of so many women who have suffered for decades from not being able to be free,” he emphasized and was pleased about the “successful conclusion of a long struggle.” Many MPs celebrated the vote as “historic”. The leader of the left-wing party La France insoumise (LFI), Mathilde Panot, saw this as a promise for all women who fought for the right to abortion around the world. France is reflecting on its vocation as a “beacon of human rights,” said Panot, who submitted the first draft of the constitutional amendment.
During the vote in France, several hundred anti-abortion activists gathered near the Congress in Versailles to protest against the constitutional change. The Catholic Church also made it clear that it continues to reject abortions. The Pontifical Academy for Life said, according to broadcaster BFMTV: “In the age of universal human rights, there can be no ‘right’ to destroy a human life.”