Credits: Georges Biard / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 3.0.
Sophie Marceau, the hugely famous French film actress, publicly expressed her satisfaction following the historic enshrinement of the right to abortion in the French Constitution. On March 4, 2024, this measure was approved after a vote involving members of the National Assembly and senators, making France the first country in the world to place the right to abortion in its Constitution. On Instagram, the actress shared her enthusiasm, underscoring the importance of this decision for the rights of her fellow citizens.
The actress, usually cautious when speaking on sociopolitical issues, did not hesitate to openly criticize opponents of the measure, including the Senate president at the time, Gérard Larcher. Her support for abortion rights sparked a wave of negative reactions from some conservative and "pro-life" circles, who attacked her on social media, calling abortion "murder."
Sophie Marceau nevertheless reaffirmed her stance, celebrating this victory for French women. She pointed out that this constitutional change in no way prevented those who wish to do so from becoming mothers, but above all guaranteed each woman’s freedom. She highlighted France’s pioneering role in protecting women’s rights and in their ability to fully decide their future.
Enshrining abortion in the Constitution represents a safeguard for this right against any future political attempts to call it into question. Through her message, Sophie Marceau wanted to remind people of the importance of respecting women’s choices and their right to control their own bodies.
Let us remember that the iconic Simone Veil was the target of very violent attacks when she defended the right to abortion nearly half a century ago, in 1975 under the presidency of Valéry Giscard d’Estaing.