"The government's position is very clear," said Mr. Véran.

It consists in "leaving room for debate on your benches", he continued, specifying that the government will therefore give a "wisdom opinion" on all the provisions of the text entered in second reading by the LREM group but defended by two opposition co-rapporteurs, Albane Gaillot (ex-LREM, non-registered) and Marie-Noëlle Battistel (PS).

It was adopted in October 2020 in the Assembly before being rejected in the Senate.

Mr. Véran recalled his personal support for the extension of the legal duration of the voluntary termination of pregnancy (abortion).

"You know my personal opinion, an opinion which is clear, which claims to be able to abort later than at present", declared the minister who received in return the applause of part of the hemicycle.

However, he appeared more measured on another controversial provision of the bill: the transformation of the double conscience clause that doctors can use to refuse to perform an abortion.

Albane Gaillot and Marie-Noëlle Battistel tackled the government's "wisdom" opinion which "leaves room for doubt".

"We need your full support for the shuttle to continue," said Ms. Gaillot.

"We are counting on your voluntarism, Mr. Minister", added Ms. Battistel.

If the text has every chance of being adopted at the end of this second reading, as evidenced by the ranks provided by LREM on Monday evening, the question of its parliamentary future arises for its supporters.

The bill must still make a shuttle with the Senate before a hypothetical third and last passage in the Assembly by the end of the parliamentary session, at the end of February.

Problem: no group wants to register it at the Luxembourg Palace and the two co-rapporteurs ask that the government be able to do so.

Without commenting on the choice of government, the president of the LREM group, Christophe Castaner told AFP, "hoping that a solution can be successful".

"I do not imagine that this text cannot progress," he added.

At the opening of the discussion, a motion of rejection defended by the ex-walker Joachim Son-Forget was sometimes booed on the benches of his former colleagues of the majority before being rejected by 80 votes against, 10 for and one abstention. .

© 2021 AFP