The Senate rejected, Thursday, May 28, with 13 votes, a temporary extension of the deadlines for voluntary terminations of pregnancy (IVG) from 12 to 14 weeks for the duration of the coronavirus health crisis.
- The amendment was defeated by 156 votes to 143.
- The extension of abortion times was a “request from doctors”, according to Laurence Rossignol (PS) who presented the amendment.
- The LR group believes that this decision deserves greater democratic debate before being potentially ratified.
It was played with few votes but the Senate rejected this Thursday, May 28, an amendment aimed at extending the period of voluntary termination of pregnancy (IVG) for the duration of the health crisis. This amendment sought to reduce this period from 12 to 14 weeks. “The government supported by the most conservative wing of the Senate has again obtained the rejection of the amendment“, regretted the socialist senator Laurence Rossignol, at the origin of the amendment, on Twitter.
14-day extension of deadlines #abortion during the health crisis. The government supported by the more conservative wing of the senate again obtained the rejection of the amendment. Thank you to the 143 senators who took into account the plight of women. But he missed a few voices
—Laurence Rossignol (@laurossignol) May 28, 2020
A request from doctors
The conservative majority in the Senate weighed the balance for a rejection of the extension of the abortion period. In detail, there were 156 votes against, bringing together the majority of Republicans and Independents while the group En Marche mostly abstained. The pro camp collected 143 votes, bringing together the votes of the socialist senators, the communist group, the members of the European Democratic and Social Rally (RDSE) and half of the centrists.
Laurence Rossignol, who made this amendment, became the spokesperson for doctors, in her own words. “This is a request from doctors, let’s not force doctors to outlaw themselves to defend the distress of womenshe launched in the hemicycle when presenting the amendment. It is an amendment which is totally circumscribed over the period of the health crisis, plus three months”, adding that “the health crisis had a deleterious effect on access to abortion and unwanted pregnancies.”
For LR, a debate is necessary
On the side of the supporters of the no, it is the rapporteur of the law commission, Muriel Jourda, of the group Les Républicains, who spoke to defend the refusal of her clan. “We know for a fact that if we make this decision, we can never go back.”. For her, “this decision must be taken, if it is taken, within the framework of a democratic debate worthy of the name.” His colleague, Sophie Primas, from the same political group, defended this point of view. “I am deeply in favor of abortion (…) I am sensitive to the distress of unwanted pregnancies (…) but we are not in the process of extending a tax system (…) We are in talking about being 12 weeks old or 14 weeks old.”
The Senate must complete overnight the examination of the bill which provides in particular for new adaptations of labor law, measures relating to justice, as well as provisions related to Brexit.
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