Constitutional amendment passed in a joint meeting of both houses
The French Senate and National Assembly approved a constitutional amendment specifying the freedom of abortion in a joint meeting held at the Palace of Versailles on the outskirts of Paris on the 4th (local time). / Versailles AFP=Yonhap News
On the 4th (local time), the French Parliament approved a constitutional amendment specifying the freedom of women to have an abortion. As a result, France has become the first country in the world to guarantee the freedom of abortion in its constitution.
The French Senate and National Assembly held a joint meeting at the Palace of Versailles on the outskirts of Paris on the same day and passed the constitutional amendment with 780 votes in favor and 72 against. Of the 925 members of both houses, 902 attended the vote, and 50 abstained.
To pass a constitutional amendment in a joint meeting of both houses, it needs to obtain more than three-fifths (512 votes) of valid votes, and the number of votes in favor far exceeded this on this day. It was also reported that Marine Le Pen, a far-right National Rally (RN) member, voted in favor.
As a result, Article 34 of the French Constitution now includes the provision, “The conditions under which women can voluntarily terminate their pregnancy are guaranteed by law.” France, which has prioritized women’s right to self-determination by legalizing abortion in 1975, has further strengthened this right through explicit constitutional specification.
In a post-vote statement via X (formerly Twitter), President Emmanuel Macron described the constitutional amendment as “a message sent to the world, a pride of France” and announced that he would hold a public event to celebrate it on International Women’s Day, which falls on March 8th.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal also said on X, “Today, France sent a historic message to the world that a woman’s body is her own and no one has the right to dispose of a woman’s body on her behalf.”
Yaël Braun-Pivet, the Speaker of the National Assembly, who presided over a joint meeting of both houses as a woman for the first time in French history, said on X that “abortion will forever be a right in France.” Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said, “I hope this is specified in the European Charter of Fundamental Rights.”
On the day of the final constitutional amendment vote, pro-amendment and anti-amendment rallies were held in downtown Paris. However, according to local media, the atmosphere firmly favored the amendment.
The City of Paris lit up the Eiffel Tower opposite the Trocadéro Square, displaying a congratulatory message saying “My Body, My Choice.”
In a recent local poll, more than 80% supported specifying the right to abortion in the constitution.
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