France becomes first nation to enshrine abortion as a constitutional right

French lawmakers voted to add abortion as a constitutional right Monday, in a response that activists and politicians have said is due to the United States Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to the New York Times.

Elected officials voted 780 to 72 in a special Parliament meeting at the Versailles Palace to pass the amendment, and became the first country to explicitly protect abortion as a constitutional right, the Times reported. The new law prevents the government from placing restrictions on funding for the now “guaranteed freedom” of abortion before 14 weeks.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who has been a vocal supporter of abortion, cheered the decision Monday in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“French pride, universal message. Let us celebrate together the entry of a new freedom guaranteed in the Constitution by the first sealing ceremony in our history open to the public. See you this March 8, International Women’s Rights Day,” Macron wrote.

The bill’s language notes that even though abortion is not currently being “threatened or called into question in our country,” the same can not be said of other countries. The amendment is also very popular among French citizens, polling around 85%, according to the BBC.

“France is showing the right to abortion is no longer an option, it’s a condition of our democracy,” Mélanie Vogel, a senator who helped push the legislation through, said, according to the Times. “The French Republic will no longer remain democratic without the right to abortion.”

Activists have pointed to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in June 2022 to overturn Roe as a tipping point for other countries to push for stronger protections, according to the Washington Post. Following the Supreme Court’s ruling, French lawmakers began pushing multiple bills to increase protections for abortion access through the constitution, despite attempts having failed in the past, according to the Times.

European activists have encouraged the U.S. to make similar moves and urged Americans to not “give up the fight,” according to the Post.

“U.S. activists — don’t give up the fight,” Lola Schulmann, an advocacy officer with Amnesty International in Paris, said. “What is happening in France is for you and all women fighting for abortion rights in the world.”

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