Ultimately, we agree with the xenophobes, with those who say that things are better outside Italy, that there is a functioning welfare state, that healthcare is not falling apart, that different professions enjoy recognition and protection that we don't even know about And then the rights, if you know the rights, in Germany, in Holland, in France… in France. In France, the sitting parliament – including the chamber and the Senate – agreed to include the right to abortion in the constitution, effectively protecting it from potential problems. It is the first country ever to do this, at a time when civil rights are being widely discussed: here we resort to voluntary abortion (sanctioned by Law 194 of 1978, although light years before other countries in the world). ) for example, it is an obstacle course between objectors, and in general it is actually banned in twenty countries around the world, including Malta. Remaining in Europe is only guaranteed in Poland if giving birth to a woman poses a threat to her health. Not to mention the rest of the world.
The numbers and scenes seen in France in recent days are probably the cause rather than the consequence of such a decision, but viewed from Italy they still make an impression. This means that out of a total of 925 parliamentarians, 852 voted to express their opinion on this constitutional revision; Well, there were 780 for and only 72 against, a Bulgarian majority well above the three-fifths of the overall majority required for the change. Meanwhile, thousands of people had taken to the streets to watch the images arriving from Versailles under the big screens (football match stuff), and when the official announcement arrived, the party began. The Eiffel Tower lit up and it was written: “Mon Corps, mon Choix“, “my body and my choice” – can you imagine such a scene, well, in the Colosseum? Prime Minister Attal spoke of a “moral obligation towards women” and that “the train of oppression can always pass by”, while President of the Republic Marcon cited the “universal message” of reform and called on everyone to take to the streets on March to go 8. Again: science fiction stuff.
There is no need to wade through political reasons, orientations or parties to understand that whether France succeeded before others in guaranteeing civil rights is not a question of right or left. That is to say: Macron is certainly a progressive, but he is far from a man of the radical left, on the contrary, despite his alliances, he is quite central, as is Attal; That's not all: in the 2022 elections, Marine Le Pen, the far right, received only four points less than her rival (27% versus 23%), proving that she has a large fan base of her own. But even Le Pen herself, with all the necessary distinctions, voted for the reform, as did several of her deputies and senators. Translated: It is more of a cultural issue, having to do with the secular tradition – which is actually lost forever – and hostile to the interference of religion in public debate in France.
It is no coincidence that the strongest reactions came from the Vatican (“There can be no right to take a human life”) and from the French bishops, who invited us “to pray, above all, so that our fellow citizens may taste to rediscover life, to give it, to receive it, to accompany it, to have and raise children. Yesterday afternoon some pro-life demonstrators made their voices heard, but polls show that four out of five French people are currently in favor of the reform. Meanwhile, in the rest of the world, it is primarily religion, and not just Christianity, that sets up barricades above and within governments and political groups: abortion is banned or restricted in many countries where Catholicism or Islam is strong, and even in Italy, where Catholicism is primarily a matter of inheritance, Law 194 has always struggled to gain traction, regardless of whether the right or the left was in power. It is difficult to underestimate the influence and presence of the Vatican, which, on the contrary, obviously has a historically very complicated relationship with the French.
