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Senior figures from the Green and liberal factions in the European Parliament have spoken in favour of including the right to abortion in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, echoing a call by French President Emmanuel Macron.<\/p>\n
Green parliamentary group leader Terry Reintke and Val\u00e9rie Hayer, who is the leader of the liberal Renew group, spoke to Germany’s RND media group for an interview published on Sunday.<\/p>\n
“The right to safe abortion belongs in the EU Charter as a fundamental right,” Reintke, a German politician who has served as a member of the European Parliament since 2014, told RND.<\/p>\n
The right for a woman to make autonomous decisions about their body should not depend on which political parties happen to hold power at any given time, she said.<\/p>\n
Hayer, an MEP from France and ally of Macron, also told RND that she supported the French president’s initiative.<\/p>\n
“While the radical right is working hard to find new ways to push through its reactionary agenda, we in a truly liberal society must stand up for women’s rights more resolutely than ever: The right to abortion must be enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, because we must never leave women’s rights to the populists,” she said.<\/p>\n
Macron declared on Friday that the freedom to have an abortion should be included in the charter, which acts as a bill of rights for EU citizens.<\/p>\n
France anchored the right to abortion into its constitution following a landmark vote in parliament on Monday.<\/p>\n
Abortions up to the 10th week of pregnancy have been allowed in France since 1975. Since then, the law has changed to allow abortions up to the 14th week.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n