France became the first country in the world to enshrine the right to abortion in its constitution. Following the 780-72 vote, the Eiffel Tower was lit up with the phrase “my body my choice.” Abortion has been legal in France since 1975, but lawmakers decided to take the additional step in direct response to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022. This is leftist lawmaker Mathilde Panot.
Mathilde Panot: “We are celebrating a historic victory. Our vote is a promise made to the future: Never will our children, our grandchildren, our great-grandchildren have to relive the torment that has preceded them. Our vote is also a promise to all women around the world who are fighting for the right to have control over their bodies, in Argentina, in the United States, in Andorra, in Italy, in Hungary, in Poland. Like an echo, today’s vote tells them that their fight is ours and that this victory is theirs.”