Right to abortion: why its inclusion in the Constitution is far from being approved

A rare moment of unity. Left-wing deputies, from the presidential majority and some elected from the National Group (RN) joined their voices on Thursday to approve the rebels’ bill that allows the right to abortion to be included in the Constitution.

But that’s just one step. As required by the classic legislative procedure of the parliamentary shuttle, the text must now be studied in the Senate. This chamber, where the senators from Les Républicains (LR) have the majority, is likely to choose a different path to that taken by the National Assembly.

“Almost no chance of success”

On October 19, environmental senator Mélanie Vogel introduced a similar bill at the Luxembourg Palace. Result: 172 senators against, including 134 in the ranks of LR, and 139 votes in favour, particularly from the left and the majority macronistas.

On Monday, the debate between the presidential candidates of the Les Républicains party in LCI symbolized the differences of opinion between the two chambers. Éric Ciotti and Aurélien Pradié, both deputies, were in favor of a compromise, with a constitutionalization of the principles of the Velo law, unlike Bruno Retailleau.

“Nobody discusses the Veil law in France,” the head of the LR senators justified then, evoking “a debate that the extreme left is importing from the United States.”

Furthermore, even if the Senate were to retain this bill, it would not be worth final adoption. If the approval of both chambers can suffice for a constitutional revision bill emanating from the President of the Republic, the same is not the case with constitutional bills initiated by parliamentarians.

If these are voted in favor (and in the same terms) both in the National Assembly and in the Senate, then they must be validated in a referendum.

If the issue of the constitutionalization of abortion has a broad consensus in public opinion – 81% of the French were in favor according to a survey carried out by Ifop in July – Mathilde Panot, leader of the group of rebel deputies, said to be in favor of a bill to expedite the procedure. “Now the ball is in the government’s court,” said the Val-de-Marne parliamentarian.

“All this has, in my opinion, almost no chance of success in view of my discussions with the senators”, however, the Keeper of the Seals Éric Dupond-Moretti explained bluntly this Wednesday before the deputies.