French President Emmanuel Macron called for the incorporation of abortion into the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union on Friday, following France’s landmark move to explicitly include it in its constitution.
During the public ceremony marking the sealing of the law adopted by a broad majority in the French Parliament on Monday, which enshrines the “guaranteed freedom” of women to have abortions in the 1958 Constitution, Macron expressed, “I wish for the freedom of voluntary termination of pregnancy to be enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Because today, in Europe, nothing can be taken for granted, and everything must be defended.”
The center-right leader’s remarks were made in the vibrant Vendôme square in Paris, where he was joined by members of his government, legislators advocating for the reform, and women like actress Catherine Deneuve, who, in 1971, signed the Manifesto of the 343 acknowledging their abortions.
Justice Minister Éric Dupond-Moretti imprinted the press of 1810 to create the green seal before receiving a lengthy round of applause from the hundreds of people attending the ceremony on a sunny winter day.
“On this day, the seal of the Republic seals a long fight for freedom,” declared the French president, emphasizing that “today is not the end of a story” but “the beginning of a fight” to protect abortion “worldwide.”
Promising to continue the battle for women’s rights beyond Europe, Macron stated, “We will fight this battle on our continent… and beyond Europe, we will fight for this right to be universal and effective. We will fight this battle for all women.” The ceremony coincided with International Women’s Day.
Nearly half a century after its decriminalization in 1975, France decided to safeguard abortion in the constitution following the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision to no longer recognize it as a federal right and considering its status in Poland and Hungary.
As the European Parliament elections loom three months away, Macron warned that in Europe, “reactionary forces always attack women’s rights first before attacking the rights of minorities, of all the oppressed, of all freedoms.”
The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights enshrines individual rights in the bloc, holding the same legal value as treaties, enabling any citizen to invoke it if their rights are not respected.