the Senate approves the inclusion of abortion in the Constitution, the Parliament meets in Congress on Monday

Emmanuel Macron welcomed “a decisive step which I welcome” after the senators’ vote, which opens the way to a revision of the Constitution.

A step that promised to be delicate but decisive. After the vote of the National Assembly at the end of January, theThe Senate adopted on Wednesday February 28 the inclusion in the Constitution of “freedom guaranteed” women “to have recourse to a voluntary termination of pregnancy”. Senators approved an unmodified version of the constitutional bill, by 267 votes for and 50 votes against.

“The Senate is taking a decisive step which I welcome. For the final vote, I will convene Parliament in Congress on March 4”, Emmanuel Macron reacted without delay. This will be the final step in the parliamentary journey of this historic constitutional revision. “It’s a huge step forward. It’s a protection that we owe to all women. It’s recognition of their right to freely dispose of their bodies”also welcomed Prime Minister Gabriel Attal. “There are days that mark the political and parliamentary history of our country. This day is one of them”wrote the head of government on the social network

A Senate more difficult to convince

The constitutional revision, already adopted almost unanimously by the National Assembly, was approved after more than three hours of sometimes agitated discussions in the upper house of Parliament. The Senate was indeed the hardest to convince. The three leaders of the senatorial majority – the president of the Senate Gérard Larcher, the president of the Les Républicains group Bruno Retailleau and that of the centrist group Hervé Marseille – were in fact opposed to the reform.

Finally, the senators spoke against an amendment from Philippe Bas (Les Républicains), who proposed removing the word “guarantee” to the sentence “the law determines the conditions under which the freedom guaranteed to a woman to have recourse to a voluntary termination of pregnancy is exercised”. The Senate also rejected an amendment aimed at including the conscience clause of doctors in the text.

The end of a long road for the text

“The Senate has written a new page in women’s rights”savored the Minister of Justice, Eric Dupond-Moretti, who affirms that France will become “the first country in the world” to protect abortion in its fundamental text.

“This vote reiterates the extent to which we are all attached to this freedom.”

Eric Dupond-Moretti, Minister of Justice

before the Senate

“It’s a huge feminist victory”, reacted environmentalist senator Mélanie Vogel. Many left-wing elected officials have expressed their “emotion” in front of a moment “strong” And “greying”. “We are making history”said the rebellious MP Mathilde Panot.

The long road towards the constitutionalization of abortion, acclaimed by the left, public opinion and associations defending women’s rights, will now be able to reach Congress on Monday. A three-fifths majority will be necessary for final adoption in Parliament in the prestigious Congress Hall of the Palace of Versailles, but there is no doubt in view of the votes of deputies and senators.