First, abortion is made a constitutional right in France

Women’s rights organizations hailed France’s historic decision to enshrine the right to abortion in its constitution on Monday, while anti-abortion groups sharply denounced the move. In France, like in the US and many other countries, abortion rights are increasingly commonly recognized. According to surveys, almost 80% of French people support the legalization of abortion. Five constitutional scholars claim that with the decision, France became the first nation in history to expressly include access to abortion in its Constitution.

Under the golden ceilings of Versailles Palace, which is located just outside of Paris, PM Gabriel Attal addressed senators and members of parliament who had assembled for a special vote in Congress. “We’re sending a message to all women: Your body belongs to you, and no one can decide for you,” Attal said.

Since legislation passed in 1974, which was strongly criticized at the time, women in France have been legally allowed to undergo abortions.
But advocates pushed for France to become the first nation to specifically guarantee the right in its fundamental legislation after the US Supreme Court decided in 2022 to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision, which recognized women’s constitutional right to an abortion.

According to the amendment, abortion is a “guaranteed freedom,” governed by regulations passed by parliament. According to French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti, this implies that future governments will not be able to “dramatically modify” the present rules supporting abortion for women who desire it, up to 14 weeks into their pregnancies.
“France is at the forefront,” said Yael Braun-Pivet, the leader of the lower chamber of parliament and a member of the centrist party of French President Emmanuel Macron. However, the decision did not come without criticism. The far-right politician Marine Le Pen said that since the nation had a strong majority in favor of abortion rights, Macron was exploiting it as a political football.