Despite opposition from some conservative members, the upper chamber voted by 267 votes to 50 to back the constitutional change. The lower house in 2022 had approved enshrining the “right” to an abortion, while the Senate last year was in favour of adding the “freedom” to resort to the procedure. However before the full vote, a Senate committee on Wednesday rejected motions from the right to amend the text of the proposed revision. “If I vote against it, my daughters will no longer come for Christmas,” said one woman senator who asked to remain anonymous. A survey by French polling company IFOP in November 2022 found 86% of French people supported making abortion a constitutional right.

Source: The Hindu February 29, 2024 15:21 UTC