France is poised to make history by becoming the first country in the world to explicitly enshrine the right to abortion in its constitution, marking a significant milestone in the fight for women’s rights throughout the 20th century. To achieve this, the Parliament will convene in Congress on Monday, March 4th at 3:30 PM in Versailles, in a rare procedure: the 22nd time in the Fifth Republic and the first since 2008.
According to the voting protocol, the 925 deputies and senators will first gather in the South Wing of the Palace of Versailles. Against the backdrop of rococo décor, they will attentively listen to Prime Minister Gabriel Attal present the very brief text, which simply adds the mention “the freedom guaranteed to women to have access to voluntary termination of pregnancy” to Article 34 of the Constitution.
Representatives from the 18 political groups in Parliament will then have five minutes each to speak. This is not a debate; rather, it is an opportunity for each group to explain its position. Following this phase, the parliamentarians will proceed to adjacent rooms to vote.
Given the voting outcomes in both the National Assembly and the Senate, the required majority of three-fifths of Parliament is expected to be comfortably met.
Once the results are announced – a suspenseful moment anticipated to conclude by 6:30 PM – the Congress will first authenticate these results. Only one step will remain: the sealing of the Constitution by the Minister of Justice. This procedure is scheduled for Friday at the Ministry of Justice in Place Vendôme, in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron. It is noteworthy that this event coincides with March 8th, the International Women’s Day.
This landmark decision underscores France’s commitment to upholding women’s rights and signifies a pivotal moment in the global struggle for gender equality.