Laurence Rossignol's amendment to temporarily extend abortion times from 12 to 14 weeks for the duration of the coronavirus crisis was refused.
Thursday evening, AFP said, the majority-right Senate rejected a temporary extension of abortion times (voluntary termination of pregnancy) from 12 to 14 weeks for the duration of the coronavirus health crisis.
Brought by Laurence Rossignol (PS), the amendment to the bill on "urgent measures to deal with the Covid-19 epidemic" collected 143 for those of the PS and CRCE groups with a Communist majority, the majority of the RDSE with a radical majority and half of the Centrists.
However, the votes against, including the majority of Republicans and Independents, were more numerous (156). The LREM group abstained mainly, while the Minister of Relations with the Parliament Marc Fesneau had expressed an unfavorable opinion.
"The government supported by the most conservative wing of the Senate has still obtained the rejection of the amendment. Thank you to the 143 senators who took into account the plight of women. But it missed a few votes," reacted the Senator from Oise, on Twitter.
"This is a request from the doctors, do not force the doctors to put themselves outside the law to defend the plight of women. It is an amendment which is completely circumscribed during the period of the health crisis, plus three months. health crisis had had a deleterious effect on access to abortion and unwanted pregnancies, "she said in the Chamber.
Laurence Cohen (Senator from Val-de-Marne) defended an amendment to the same effect. "We know full well that if we make this decision, we can never go back", objected the rapporteur LR of the commission of the laws Muriel Jourda, considering that "this decision must be taken, if it is taken, within the framework of a democratic debate worthy of the name".
For her part, Sophie Primas (LR) said: "I am deeply in favor of abortion (…) I am sensitive to the distress of unwanted pregnancies, (…) but we are not extending a device fiscal (…) We are talking about a being of 12 weeks or 14 weeks. "
Laure Darcos, another LR Senator, said "very disturbed", evoking testimonies of great"distress", while Joël Guerriau (Freelancers) spoke out for"give this deadline", AFP reports.