French National Assembly Approves Bill to Enshrine Abortion Rights in Constitution
The bill now faces resistance in the Senate, with a three-fifths majority vote needed for it to become law.
- France's National Assembly has overwhelmingly approved a bill to enshrine a woman's right to abortion as a 'guaranteed freedom' in the constitution. The bill passed by a vote of 493 to 30.
- The move to constitutionalize abortion rights was a response to the rollback of abortion rights in the United States in 2022.
- The bill now moves to the Senate where it faces resistance from conservative Republicans and the far-right National Rally.
- If approved by the Senate, a special body composed of both chambers of the parliament will meet again for its adoption. For that to happen, the bill must win a three-fifths majority vote.
- If the bill becomes law, France will become the first country in the world to include abortion rights in its constitution.