French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Sunday that his government plans to present a bill to enshrine abortion rights in the country’s constitution in the coming days.
“Based on the work of parliamentarians and associations, the draft law will be sent to the Council of State this week and presented to the Council of Ministers at the end of the year,” Macron wrote on X. Once enacted, “women’s freedom to have an abortion will become irreversible,” he said.
The push to give abortion constitutional status follows a promise made by Macron on 8 March to mark International Women’s Day. Macron said France’s initiative should be seen as a “universal message of solidarity with women whose abortion rights have been violated” – a direct reference to the US Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade last year.
A recent opinion poll suggests that the French measure enjoys widespread public support, with over 80 per cent of respondents in favour.
To amend the French constitution, the bill requires either a referendum or an overwhelming majority in both houses of parliament.
According to government figures reported by France24, up to 234,000 women had abortions in France last year.