The French government has passed a bill that seriously harms freedom of expression. Last February, it approved legislation that criminalises pro-life organizations that offer alternatives for abortion or communicate a pro-life viewpoint regarding abortion in other ways.

ECPM acknowledges that topics such as abortion are a competence of the member states and not of the EU. However, we believe that we need to speak up when freedom of expression is under attack, especially within EU borders. ECPM MEPs have issued a statement on this new French bill in January, when it had just been approved by the French Senate.

ECPM MEP Marek Jurek: "It is commonly believed that a so-called abortion is an evil (which is shared even by those who oppose the protection of life of the unborn from conception). Contrary to this is has been recognized by the French government as positive and as a human right. That means that dissuading people from having an abortion with anti-abortion arguments has become impossible. Penalties are imposed on those who try to save the weakest by arguments and moral appeals. Unfortunately the actions undertaken by French government were tacitly approved by EU leadership, including those politicians who call for respect for human rights and who easily make accusations of their violation in mere political discussions."

Our Christian-democratic French member party, the Parti Chrètien-Démocrate (PCD), is saddened that this bill has passed. Mr. Poisson, Member of the French National Assembly for PCD: "By uprooting and weakening the family, marriage and the dignity of the human person by all kinds of measures (civil, fiscal, political ...), the Socialist Party will only have increased the fragility of the human beings and their vulnerability to the financial market. For there is no more doubt on the collusion between the most liberal on the economic front and the fragility of the human person."

“I observe that many countries are beginning to question what has always been presented as an untouchable dogma, such as a kind of totem, that is: abortion. My second observation is that the coming generations are very demanding in terms of truth and whatever their political affiliation, we cannot lie to them and continue to lie about abortion and its consequences. (…) It is perfectly conceivable that social policies for the reception of life are emerging, and that all the associations which are now engaged in welcoming life and the possibility of giving women alternatives to abortion, including by local authorities and those responsible for social policies, are supported. As soon as this movement starts from below, and town councils or county councils start to see that there are alternatives to abortion, and to support them, then we can start to reverse the trend."