French lawmakers have approved a bill to enshrine abortion as a constitutional right for women in the country. The measure, passed in an overwhelming 780-72 vote on Monday, was met with jubilant celebrations across France.
The bill, which amends Article 34 of the French Constitution to specify a woman's right to an abortion, was a key promise by President Emmanuel Macron following concerns over abortion rights rollback in the United States.
In a joint session, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal urged lawmakers to make France a leader in women's rights. He paid tribute to Simone Veil, a prominent legislator who championed the 1975 bill that decriminalized abortion in France, calling on lawmakers to make her proud.
The National Assembly and the Senate had both previously approved the bill. While some lawmakers have voted against inscribing abortion rights into the constitution in the past, none of France's major political parties represented in parliament have questioned the right to abortion.
The bill requires a three-fifths majority in the joint session to be approved. Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally party, while supporting the bill, downplayed its significance, saying, "there is no need to make this a historic day."
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