Thrifty Banker
  • Politics
  • Business
  • World
  • Investing
  • Politics
  • Business
  • World
  • Investing

Thrifty Banker

World

France becomes world’s first country to enshrine abortion rights in constitution

by March 5, 2024
March 5, 2024
France becomes world’s first country to enshrine abortion rights in constitution

France became the world’s first country to enshrine abortion rights in its constitution on Monday, the culmination of an effort that began in direct response to the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Lawmakers from both houses of the French Parliament voted 780 to 72 in favor of the measure, easily clearing the three-fifths majority needed to amend the French constitution.

Monday’s vote, held during a special gathering of lawmakers at the Palace of Versailles, southwest of Paris, was the final step in the legislative process. The French Senate and National Assembly each overwhelmingly approved the amendment earlier this year.

The amendment states that there is a “guaranteed freedom” to abortion in France. Some groups and lawmakers had called for stronger language to explicitly call abortion a “right.”

Lawmakers hailed the move as a history-making way for France to send a clear signal of support on reproductive rights, with abortion under threat in the United States, as well as in parts of Europe, like Hungary, where far-right parties have come to power.

Following the vote, the Eiffel Tower was lit up with the words “my body my choice.”

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said before the vote that lawmakers had a “moral debt” to women who were, in the past, forced to endure illegal abortions.

“Above all, we’re sending a message to all women: your body belongs to you,” Attal said.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the government would hold a formal ceremony celebrating the amendment’s passage on Friday, International Women’s Rights Day.

France first legalized abortion in 1975, after a campaign led by then-Health Minister Simone Veil, an Auschwitz survivor who became one of the country’s most famous feminist icons.

While abortion is a highly divisive issue in US politics that often falls along party lines, in France it is widely supported. Many of the lawmakers who voted against the amendment did so not because they opposed abortion, but because they felt the measure was unnecessary, given the wide support for reproductive rights.

The measure’s passage is a clear victory for the French left, which has been pushing for years to guarantee abortion rights in the constitution. Before 2022, President Emmanuel Macron’s government argued — like the amendment’s current opponents — that the move was unnecessary.

However, in 2022, when the US Supreme Court ruled against Roe v. Wade and let states individually decide on the issue, France was pushed to act.

French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti said perviously, before debate began in the National Assembly in January, that history was full of other examples where “fundamental rights” were believed to be safe but then taken away, “as we were recently reminded by the decision of the US Supreme Court.”

“We now have irrefutable proof that no democracy, not even the largest of them all, is immune,” he said.

The vote marks the 25th time the French government has amended its constitution since the founding of the Fifth Republic in 1958.

The Catholic Church was one of the few groups to announce its opposition to the amendment. The Pontifical Academy for Life, the Vatican body which focuses on issues related to bioethics, said in a statement that “in the era of universal human rights, there can be no ‘right’ to take human life.”

A conference of French bishops on Thursday also reiterated the church’s opposition to abortion ahead of the vote.

This post appeared first on cnn.com
0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Ancient ‘star dune’ evidence isn’t missing. It’s been hiding in plain sight, radar reveals
next post
UN agency accuses Israel of detaining, coercing staffers into false confessions about ties to Hamas

Related Posts

London police find and arrest fugitive terror suspect...

September 15, 2023

Moscow concert hall attack suspects appear in court...

March 26, 2024

First on CNN: Father describes how his young...

November 29, 2023

Pamela Anderson says she was confronted on plane...

January 8, 2025

Who is Friedrich Merz, Merkel’s rival and German...

February 16, 2025

Launch of revolutionary satellite and ‘Moon Sniper’ lunar...

August 28, 2023

New ‘supercontinent’ could wipe out humans and make...

September 29, 2023

Video of crowd’s fascist salute in heart of...

January 13, 2024

What we know about the Morocco earthquake

September 13, 2023

‘I hope you don’t get shot down by...

December 23, 2023

    Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest insights, updates, and exclusive content straight to your inbox! Whether it's industry news, expert advice, or inspiring stories, we bring you valuable information that you won't find anywhere else. Stay connected with us!


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Popular

    • 1

      Top 10 Countries for Natural Gas Production (Updated 2024)

      April 6, 2024
    • 2

      Understanding Lithium Mineralogy from an Investment Perspective

      September 12, 2023
    • 3

      US Capital Global Facilitates $50MM Financing to Accelerate Charbone Hydrogen’s North American Expansion

      June 6, 2025
    • 4

      A GOP operative accused a monastery of voter fraud. Nuns fought back.

      January 3, 2025
    • 5

      Israel confirms it is arming Hamas rivals in operation opposition calls ‘complete madness’

      June 6, 2025
    • 6

      Crypto Market Recap: Strategy Eyes US$1B Raise for Bitcoin Push, UK Regulator Reverses ETN Ban

      June 6, 2025
    • 7

      China’s aircraft carriers send message in the open Pacific for the first time – and bigger and more powerful ships are coming

      June 16, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (1,053)
    • Investing (2,079)
    • Politics (2,977)
    • Uncategorized (20)
    • World (3,387)
    • About us
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: thriftybanker.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 thriftybanker.com | All Rights Reserved