The text adopted at first reading by the senators, who must now return to the National Assembly, abandons the concept of dear right to the left.
MO12345LEMONDE
The majority of the right -wing Senate spoke on Wednesday 1 er February, by 166 votes against 152, to include in the constitution the “freedom of women” to resort to abortion, A formulation that abandons the concept of dear right to the left.
The text adopted at first reading by the senators, who must now return to the National Assembly, aims to supplement article 34 of the Constitution with this formula: “The law determines the conditions under which freedom is exercised of the woman to put an end to her pregnancy. “
The change of formulation undertaken by Senator Philippe Bas (Les Républicains), substituting the concept of freedom for that of law, manifestly allowed the adoption of the text, which had been rejected during his examination in committee. Several left senators praised its adoption, described as “historic”.
“It’s a historic victory! (…) There is no longer a debate on the need to do so, only discussions to continue on how to write it,” greeted the ecological senator Mélanie Vogel on Twitter.
A pure and simple rejection of the text by the Senate would have made it buried. A constitutional bill must be passed in the same terms by the two chambers, then subject to referendum to be adopted definitively. Unlike what is happening for ordinary laws, the National Assembly cannot have “the last word” in case of disagreement with the Senate.
Last October, the Senate had rejected by 139 votes for and 172 votes against a first constitutional law proposal carried by M me vogel and co -signed by senators of seven of the eight groups of the Senate, With the exception of Republicans.