French press review

In the spotlight: the shock wave caused by the American Supreme Court

Audio 04:24

Protesters denounce the abortion ban in the US state of Missouri on June 24, 2022. © AFP/Angela Weiss

By: Sébastien Duhamel Follow

4 mins

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With the revocation, on June 24, of the federal right to abortion, this decision marks "

the great regression of the Supreme Court

" and "

the democratic collapse of the United States

", considers first of all

Le Monde

.

And we are talking about a shock wave.

The expression comes up a lot in the French newspapers this Monday morning: in

Liberation,

L'Humanité

and in

La Croix.

Shock wave and the word "

fragility

" also, because this situation "

reminds the world of the fragility of societal achievements

", underlines

Liberation

which reminds us in passing of the words of the progressive judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg, held in 2015 – a time not so distant – “

I do not think that the Supreme Court will one day reconsider the judgment Roe versus Wade

”, she declared then .

"

And yet that's what happened on Friday,

" laments

Libé.

And “

if this decision is indeed that of an American court, specific to the American context

”, notes

La Croix,

it reminds the Catholic newspaper “of the

obvious

”: “

Freedoms are only those that a society gives itself.

And history is full of examples testifying to their fragility

”.

Yes, this decision is a good illustration of "

the fragility of access to abortion

" confirms

L'Humanité

, which headlines "

Stand up for women

" and for which "

a vast mobilization is essential in order to guarantee to all the right to have their body

”.

 To read also:

United States: Joe Biden caught in the turmoil triggered by the Supreme Court

Because the direct consequence of this "

war

" that the Supreme Court declares against women, underlines

L'Humanité,

is that half of the American states could ban abortion.

So many places where women will no longer be able to choose IF and WHEN they want a child.

So many young girls, victims of incest or rape, on whom these dangerous reactionaries inflict to carry their pregnancy to term.

So many deaths during clandestine abortions.

So many shattered lives

,” concludes

L'Humanité.

And the newspaper quotes Simone de Beauvoir: "

it will take a political, economic or religious crisis for women's rights to be called into question

".

However, “

we are there

”.

Abortion now in the French political debate

If the newspapers speak of a shock wave, it is because this decision of the American Supreme Court has now rubbed off on the political debate in France.

In France, indeed “

it awakens old fears

”.

It “

also arouses a mobilization so that this right of women to dispose of their bodies is enshrined in the Constitution

”, observes

Liberation

.

On Saturday, the leader of LREM deputies, Aurore Bergé tabled a constitutional bill to protect access to abortion.

But coming from the presidential party, it "

can make people cringe

", launches Libé.

Because in 2018, he "

refused to register this right when it was proposed by La France insoumise

".

For its part,

La Croix

obviously considers that this is not a priority and affirms that in France, the presidential majority "

has reacted with alacrity: even if access to abortion is not there not threatened

.

For

La Croix,

which advocates a balance between “

freedoms

” and “

respect for life

”, the urgency “

would rather be on the side of sexual education for young people, measures to protect the family and reduce inequalities. social.

Far from political calculations and ideological postures

”.

A sound quite close to the

Figaro

side : The executive "

doesn't he have better things to do than want to enshrine the right to abortion in the Constitution?

asks the newspaper, affirming that “

unlike the United States, it is in no way threatened and this does not correspond to any claim

”.

The challenge of the French executive

Élisabeth Borne in particular, who now has "

one week to break the impasse

", headlines

Le Parisien-Aujourd'hui en France

: "

Confirmed by Emmanuel Macron, the Prime Minister must, from the first days of July, reshuffle her government to replace the ministers beaten in the legislative elections and convince the opposition parties, excluding the Rassemblement national and France insoumise, to work with her

 ”.

The discussions begin on Monday, and "

the most perilous, the most random

" for the Prime Minister, "

would be to be forced to find a different majority for each piece of legislation

", analyzes

Today in France

.

"

With such a delay of 44 deputies in the Assembly

, “negotiating a coalition agreement makes more sense.

 To read also: 

French policy: Emmanuel Macron does not want to govern either with the RN or with LFI

For

Le Figaro

also, we must "

get out of the blur

".

But beware, the newspaper warns, the warning received during the legislative elections prohibits Emmanuel Macron from "

continuing to play Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

".

Instead of seeking to seal improbable coalitions, Emmanuel Macron would be well advised to prepare useful measures

,” writes

Le Figaro.

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