Emmanuel Macron reacted promptly on Friday to the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States. “Abortion is a fundamental right for all women”, tweeted the president affirming the need to ” protect ” this right. The next day, the new leader of the Renaissance deputies (ex-LREM) Aurore Bergé announced that her group would table a bill to register “respect for abortion in our Constitution”.
Engaged on a dual political front, national and international – France chairs the Council of the European Union until June 30 – the Head of State seized on this historic American decision with the idea of creating a consensus on the theme of the defense of common values. “Great misfortune”, “regression”, “catastrophe” : the whole left, was unsurprisingly indignant. On the right, many voices have also been raised to regret “a shocking setback”in the words of deputy Éric Ciotti.
A precious “opportunity” for the government
While the majority begins a perilous week to find support within the opposition, the constitutionalization of the right to abortion appears to be a precious ” opportunity “ for the government, observes political scientist Martial Foucault: “This is an opportunity for Emmanuel Macron to show that he can bring together the ‘progressives’ and find a majority of ideas”, emphasizes the director of Cevipof (Sciences Po).
“The government will strongly support this bill, has already assured the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne. Parliament must be able to come together very broadly around this text. » Aurore Bergé for her part rejects any windfall effect and insists on the change of historical context: ” If Obama had included the right to abortion in the United States Constitution, we would not be here. We cannot run the same risk in France. »
On the left, we criticize an opportunist reversal
However, the opposition does not intend to leave the field open to him. In particular the left which criticizes a reversal of the presidential camp. LFI recalls that his group had tabled such a bill in 2018, which was then rejected by the majority. “Women’s rights are extremely well guaranteed in our country”, had justified Yaël Braun-Pivet, who should be elected, Tuesday 28, president of the new Assembly.
As for the Head of State himself, if he opposed during his first mandate the abolition of the conscience clause of doctors, he has, on the merits, always defended the use of abortion. Last January, during his speech at the start of his presidency of the Union, Emmanuel Macron proposed to the European Parliament to update the Charter of Fundamental Rights to explicitly include “the recognition of the right to abortion”.
The day before, Roberta Metsola, known for her anti-abortion positions, had just been elected head of the European Parliament. His country, Malta, is the only one in the Union to totally ban abortion.
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