[Press Release] Right wing primary elections: an absurd debate on abortion, disconnected with reality

The exchange of mutual insults between the two final candidates on the subject of abortion is outrageous for a French political debate. It shows the extent to which libertarian ideology has been preventing for years an honest debate on the prevention of abortion.

When approximately 40% of French women have aborted at least once in their life, it is pathetic to handle a major health and social issue with an exchange of personal insults regarding a law voted in 1975 and which has undergone umpteen modifications.

Caroline Roux, Alliance VITA’s Crisis Center Coordinator and specialist for pregnancy and maternity issues states: “This argument demonstrates how far off target politicians are. This debate on abortion is absurd and completely disconnected with reality. There are twice as many abortions in France compared to Germany. It is a painful and oversensitive issue; no one wishes for a woman to resort to abortion. So much was done to claim that abortion is a fundamental right, that those who suffer from abortion, those who would prefer not to abort, particularly when they are under pressure from their partner or their working environment, which can sometimes be extremely fierce, are not heard. This is the present–day reality. The psychological side effects that women suffer after abortion are widely denied. And as the French National Authority for Health admitted, we lack objective studies.”    

Tugdual Derville, Alliance VITA’s General Delegate emphasizes:

« We expect our politicians to assume their responsibility for the genuine traumatisms connected with abortion. Today the government has announced its 5^th ministerial mobilization strategy to fight against all types of abuse committed against women. Is it not high time to examine the abuse that pregnant women experience? Several surveys by the High Advisory Counsel for Equality between Men and Women report that in 40% of the cases, the partner’s abuse started with the first pregnancy. One study reports that 27% of abortion requests are directly linked with abuse. The tiny measures that were supposed to protect women considering abortion were all eliminated throughout this 5-year term: the concept of distress, the 1 week reflection period. Society has gradually divested itself of its responsibility and become unaccountable. Any political leader longing for a changeover must be free from libertarian ideological injunctions in order to handle this issue with great insight, honesty, without personal interest or caricature.”  

At a time when the socialist government is preparing to enforce a new offense, threatening associations which refuse to trivialize abortion and give women information on rights and subventions which could help them avoid an abortion, we expect the future presidential candidates to be brave enough to state their positions clearly and speak freely on this oversensitive subject and come up with a genuine prevention policy for abortion.