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French lawmakers debated whether to enshrine abortion rights in the constitution, with left- and center-right lawmakers saying the US Supreme Court's reversal of a landmark ruling in June showed the need for new steps.

Women have a legal right to an abortion in France under a law passed in 1974 and updated several times since then, with the latest change in February extending access to abortion up to the 14th week of pregnancy from 12.

Enshrining this right in the constitution would further protect it and make it more difficult to revoke it in France, said France Intransigent lawmaker Mathilde Pano.

"The aim is to prevent any regression," Pano told parliament.

"We don't want to give any chance to people who are hostile to abortion rights and contraception.

Abortion rights are more widely accepted in France than in the United States or some other EU countries.

Some 83 percent of French people are happy with the fact that abortion is legal, a July poll showed, up 16 percent from about 30 years ago.

The same survey showed that 81% supported adding the right to abortion to the constitution.

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Lawmakers will vote Thursday on a proposal tabled by the left and next week by President Emmanuel Macron's party, both of which would give a broad constitutional guarantee to abortion rights.

Still, conservatives and the far right have largely opposed it, and many would consider giving more weight to the 1974 law.

"Stop playing with fears of repealing abortion rights, which you know is impossible in France," said far-right lawmaker Emmanuel Menard.

But even if the lower house of parliament, where Macron's party is the largest party, does vote on one of the two proposals this week or next week, the road to enshrining the right to abortion in the constitution will not be easy.

To amend the constitution, the bill must also be voted on by the Senate.

The latter is controlled by the right and last month rejected a cross-party bill aimed at constitutionalizing the right to abortion and contraception.

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