Macron sees draft law to make abortion rights ‘irreversible’ this week

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday announced that his government plans to submit a draft law in the coming days to enshrine abortion rights in the country’s constitution.

“Based on the work of parliamentarians and associations, the draft law will be sent to the State Council this week and presented to the Council of Ministers at the end of the year,” Macron wrote on X. Once enacted, “women’s freedom to resort to abortion will become irreversible,” he said.

The push to grant abortion constitutional status follows up on what Macron promised on March 8, on the occasion of International Women’s Day. Macron said France’s initiative should be seen as a “universal message of solidarity toward the women whose abortion rights have been violated” — a direct reference to the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court last year.

A recent opinion poll indicates that the French measure enjoys wide public support, with over 80 percent of the respondents in favor.

To amend the French constitution, the draft law will either require a referendum or an overwhelming majority in both chambers of the parliament.

According to to government figures reported by France24, as many as 234,000 women resorted to abortion in France last year.