MEPs have voted to enshrine the right to abortion in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, contradicting Article 2 of the same document stipulates that “everyone has the right to life.”
On Thursday, the European Parliament voted 336 to 163 in favor of the motion that also calls for the EU to stop funding pro-life groups, which the text calls “anti-choice.”
The amendment, put forward by the Left, the liberals, and the social democrats, was mainly rejected by MEPs from the right-wing ECR (European Conservatives and Reformists), ID (Identity & Democracy), and EPP (European People’s Party) blocs. Aside from the obvious moral objections, these parties argued that the matter is not part of EU jurisdiction but falls to member states to determine.
The amendment defining abortion as a “right” contradicts both the existing Article 2 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, which states that “everyone has the right to life,” as well as, arguably, Article 3, which prohibits “eugenic practices.”
Marina Casini, president of the pro-life group One of Us, strongly criticized the result:
It is deeply concerning to witness the European Parliament prioritize radicalized political agendas over the fundamental rights and values that underpin our societies. This resolution not only disregards the dignity of human life but also undermines the sovereignty of Member States in addressing such sensitive matters.
However, the European Parliament’s decision is non-binding; the motion would still have to go through the Commission and, more importantly, would have to be approved by the government leaders of all 27 member states. Crucially, that approval would have to be unanimous—a highly unlikely scenario, since Hungary, Malta, and Italy are certain to stick to their pro-life principles.
The amendment was first debated in Strasbourg on March 14th, introduced by French MEP and Renew President Valérie Hayer, who is seen as a proxy of French President Emmanuel Macron. In February, Macron managed to have abortion enshrined in the French Constitution.
No doubt with an eye towards the European elections on June 9th, he has made no secret of wanting to make it applicable to the entirety of Europe ahead of an expected conservative surge, casting it as part of a broader fight against “reactionary forces” in Europe:
We will lead this fight on our continent, in our Europe where reactionary forces first and always attack women’s rights before then attacking the rights of minorities, of all the oppressed, of all freedoms.
During the March debate on the amendment, MEP Isabel Benjumea (EPP) forcefully argued that abortion instead represents the “failure of society.”
In addition to making abortion a fundamental right, the initiative also condemns ‘conscience clauses’—which allow doctors to opt out of performing or advocating for abortions. It also voices concern about funding for “‘anti-choice’ groups”—that is, conservative pro-life organizations that support women through pregnancy and beyond.
Member states are urged by the amendment to include abortion in their medical curricula, singling out governments such as Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Malta for their pro-life initiatives.
The motion also serves as a reminder of how ‘progressives’ change language to ram through their ideology.
Article 3 of the EU Charter, which says that “everyone has the right to respect for his or her physical and mental integrity,” the lawmakers want to see retitled as “right to the integrity of the person and bodily autonomy.”
With the magic words “bodily autonomy” now included, the leap can be made to the following:
Everyone has the right to bodily autonomy, to free, informed, full and universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, and to all related health services without discrimination, including access to safe and legal abortion.
However, without the unanimous support of the European Council, all of the above remains what it is at present: mere words.
