President Emmanuel Macron is pushing for the “liberty” to get an abortion to be put into
the current French Constitution. This would make France the second country in history
to put abortion into their constitution. The situation in France is complicated but also
filled with hope, since the amendment isn’t guaranteed to pass. Here is the situation in
France when it comes to abortion:
Simone Veil was the politician who pushed for abortion to be legalized in 1975 with the
“Loi Veil,” which legalized abortion up to 10 weeks gestation. She explained in front of
the National Assembly that, “I say with all my conviction, abortion should stay the
exception, the last resort in situations without other solutions.” Veil explained that
abortion should be available so that it could be controlled and that women should be
given pro-life counseling. There were many illegal abortions happening at the time and
she pushed this law so that women wouldn’t be hurt by illegal abortions anymore.
However, since 1975, abortion has become legal for minors without parental consent,
and schools now teach students how to get abortions. There is no longer a waiting
period, no longer pro-life counseling, and no longer a 10 week limit, with abortion now
legal until 14 weeks gestation. It is completely free and now protected from free speech,
with sidewalk counseling illegal along with “disinformation” online. The Loi Veil was
passed by the conservative government of President Valerie Giscard d'Estaing, and
since then almost every president has expanded it. None of the political parties have an
explicitly pro-life platform, with the far left Nouvelle Union Populaire Ecologique et
Sociale (NUPES) coalition in favor of constitutionalizing the unlimited right to abortion as
well the Macronist presidential majority in favor of a limited right to it in the Constitution.
The conservative Les Republicains (LR) and the far right Rassemblement National (RN)
remain divided. The only mainstream party that is against abortion has been the two
year old Reconquete! party which is led by Eric Zemmour, a conservative commentator
who ran for office trying to unite both the LR and the RN. Still, none of the parties want
to pass laws limiting abortion.
Amongst the division, there is hope. Similar to how the French Resistance fought hard
against Vichy and Hitler in World War Two, the pro-lifers are faithful and courageous.
The pro-life movement is growing and is now represented by young adults who are
working to save lives and change public opinion on abortion. In May, the pro-life
activists, “Les Survivants,” launched a sticker campaign where they put thousands of
pro-life stickers on rental bikes in Paris. This has been reported all around the world and
has made a big impact on the French. La Marche Pour La Vie (March For Life) happens
every January in Paris and the Jerome Lejeune Foundation started last summer with a
yearly camp for young pro-lifers. The pro-life movement in France also works to support
women in desperate situations with crisis pregnancy organizations, even if they face
harassment from the government. Though the political parties on the left and center are
hostile to pro-lifers, there may be opportunities to grow a pro-life presence in the more
conservative parties. Reconquete! leader Zemmour has spoken out about how abortion
is wrong and has been expanded far beyond what it was meant to be when legalized in
1975. He works with Marion Marechale, who has spoken out against abortion and
pushed to defund “comfort abortions” (repeated abortions). There are politicians in the
RN and LR who also voted against Macron’s amendment and can be counted on to
oppose the amendment when Macron proposes it in the near future. Please pray for the
elected officials in France, as well as for the pro-lifers who are outgunned and
outnumbered. Vive La Resistance! Vive La France!
Sebastien Ostertag
Pro Life Global
European Coordinator
June 30, 2023