The French parliament on Thursday approved legislation that allows prison terms and fines to be handed against those involved in creating anti-abortion websites that imitate official information sites to dissuade women from terminating their pregnancy.
Two socialist MPs have attracted all-party support for a new bill which would criminalise the clients of prostitutes, earning them a fine. Yet behind the apparent consensus, Mediapart has discovered that there is far from unanimity on the proposed law even within the ruling party. A number of senior socialist MPs point out that many respected non-governmental organisations fear the change would make life less safe for prostitutes. Others say it will make the party look too 'moralising'. And as Mathieu Magnaudeix reports, it is also not clear whether the prime minister or the president fully support what could become a controversial measure.
