In the past century, Americans have bickered over the constitutionality of federally legalizing abortion. The infamous 1973 Supreme Court ruling guaranteed women the right to abortion in Roe v. Wade. Fast forward to less than 50 years later, and we are approaching the second year anniversary of Dobbs v. Jackson in which the decision in Roe v. Wade was reversed, leaving the abortion debate in the hands of individual states. The ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson did not sit well with the French, and on March 4, 2024, amendments to the constitution were made. An overwhelming majority of the French Parliament, 780 to 72, voted in favor of adding abortion rights to the constitution, making France the first country to do so. This was a punch in the face to America’s Supreme Court. French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti even went on to call out the dissonance between America’s values and actions: “We now have irrefutable proof that no democracy, not even the largest of them all, is immune.”

Ms. Juarez, CdM’s resident expert on French language and culture, isn’t surprised at all by France’s recent moves. “The French are known for…fighting back against oppressive government policies that want to rob them of their liberties,” she said. We can catch a glimpse of this rebellious nature in the French Revolution, namely Marie Antoinette’s infamous death. However, just as it would be wildly inaccurate to characterize all French as guillotine-happy folks, it would be wrong to say everyone was on board with the government’s decision. The Catholic Church is among the biggest opponents of fully guaranteeing abortion, defending their stance on religious grounds. Even then, however, Juarez thinks that “[pro-lifers] would mobilize much more strongly [in the United States] than in France.”

When inquired on the ethical side of the issue, freshman Aiden Lee, an invested member of CdM’s Human Rights Watch, voiced his approval of France’s decision. He articulated the importance of all people having the ability “to choose what [they] do with [their bodies].” Only time will tell whether or not the states will choose to follow in the footsteps of the French.