France: Opposition to EU efforts to define rape as lack of consent
1 Dec 2023
Countries
Political trend
The actor of the backlash
Rights at stake and state’s obligations
The form of backlash
On November 14th, EU state members and the European Parliament gathered to discuss the directive on combating violence against women. French President Macron opposed the European Union’s definition of rape, claiming that the issue of rape is beyond the competence of the EU. A month later, although a majority of EU parliamentarians supported it, European co-legislators were unable to reach a consensus on the directive addressing violence against women. The directive aimed to classify rape as a criminal offense and establish its definition based on non-consent. The disagreement stemmed from opposition by France, Germany, Hungary, and Poland.