“We are caught between religious lobbies and far-right lobbies,” laments the former co-president of Family Planning

In terms of the right to abortion, “we are caught between religious lobbies and far-right lobbies”, lamented Wednesday, December 1 on franceinfo Véronique Séhier, former co-president of Family Planning, rapporteur of the study “sexual and reproductive rights in Europe, between threats and progress” of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (Cese). Nine elders from the US Supreme Court, including six conservatives, have been looking since Wednesday morning on a law passed in 2018 in Mississippi, which prohibits abortions after fifteen weeks of pregnancy. It is expected to render its decision in the spring of 2022.

franceinfo: Could the Supreme Court reconsider the right to abortion?

Véronique Séhier: It could tell states to fend for themselves and make whatever decisions they want. Which would be dramatic because it is a bulwark to guarantee the right to abortion throughout America today.

What will happen if she reverses this right?

This would be a very bad signal because behind the United States there is also all of Latin America where women fight to be able to have an abortion. It would also be a bad signal in Europe where we also have countries which are in sharp decline in these rights today. Italy has a law which is roughly the same as in France except that 70% of doctors oppose their conscience clause. So although the right is written into law, it is very difficult for some women to have an abortion.

In Poland, the court is ruling on a bill that would punish women who abort with prison terms. We are in full decline when we know that the right to abortion for women is fundamental and that it is also an important care. Hungary has written the right of the unborn child into its constitution.

How do you explain this decline? Is it political?

Yes and it is also the question of the control of the sexuality of the women. If you take a country like Hungary, their policy is natalist, they want children, but above all no children of homosexuals and especially no immigrants. This is the policy today. So, we are caught between religious lobbies and far-right lobbies who lead policies that go against the rights of women and all women. There is great hope with France’s presidency of the European Union to go much further on these rights.