Macron proposes to include abortion in the European Charter of Fundamental Rights

The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has proposed reform the European Charter of Fundamental Rights to include new realities such as the protection of the environment and the recognition of the right to abortion.

In a speech delivered as rotating president of the European Union to set out France’s priorities during the semester in which he will coordinate the work of the Twenty-seven, Macron has shown himself in favor of expanding the articles included in this document, proclaimed at the end of 2000, and which contemplates individual, civil, social and economics of European citizens.

“I would like us to be able to update this charter, in particular to be more explicit in protecting the environment or recognizing the right to abortion”, he stated in his speech before the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

The French president has framed this proposal in an attempt to renew democracy on the continent, “in the face of the threat posed by authoritarian powers such as Russia and China”, and has defended “breathing new life into the foundation of rights that Europe is forging”.

On the other hand, he has also proposed that the countries of the European Union work on a new stability and security agreement which they could then discuss with Russia.

It has also asked the European Union to make its voice heard in defense of the order of european security and its democratic principles, as well as fighting the “ideological battle” represented by powers such as Russia.

In a context of maximum tension in the border with Ukraine, where Russia has amassed tens of thousands of troops, the French president has defended a “frank and demanding” dialogue with Moscow to achieve a political solution to the crisis, although he has not hesitated to criticize the Russian maneuvers of “destabilization, manipulation and interference “.

In this sense, he has asked that Europe defend the principles of the security order and “sanction its violations”. “Sovereignty is a freedom that is at the heart of the European project and is a response to destabilization on the continent”, he underlined, in a message from support for the territorial integrity of Kiev.

Before the plenary session of the European Parliament in a speech that serves as the start of the six-month presidency of the EU, Macron has demanded that Europe “make its voice heard” on issues such as the gun control, the military transparency and the respect for the sovereignty of countries, all of them issues that are on the dialogue table with Russia.

“In the coming weeks we will come up with a European proposal to build a new order of stability, we must work among Europeans, share it with the allies within the framework of NATO and then propose it in the negotiation with Russia”, he assured.