France's Macron pledges to make abortion rights 'irreversible'

French President Emmanuel

Macron

has announced plans to enshrine

abortion rights

in the country's constitution to make them "irreversible".
In an online post, Macron revealed that a draft proposal would be presented to the State Council, France's highest administrative court, in the upcoming week, aiming to establish constitutional abortion rights by year-end.

He said that "the right of women to choose abortion will become irreversible by 2024.
This move by Macron comes as a response to the rollback of federal abortion rights in the United States last year and is in alignment with a promise he made on

International Women's Day

, March 8.
Constitutional revisions in France require approval through a referendum or by at least three-fifths of both chambers of parliament in a

congress

. Historically, most constitutional changes in post-war France have been ratified through congressional votes.

France decriminalized abortion in 1975, with subsequent laws focusing on enhancing abortion conditions, including safeguarding women's health and anonymity, as well as reducing the financial burdens associated with the procedure.
A November 2022 opinion poll indicated that 89 percent of respondents favored the idea of making abortion rights a part of the constitution.
Official statistics report 234,000 abortions conducted in France in the previous year.