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Of all the candidates interviewed, the 10 candidates who responded to our questionnaire are opposed to surrogacy, which, in their view, involves an unacceptable commodification of the female body. Find out their answers.
Surrogacy: unanimous opposition
Nicolas Dupont-Aignan declares that: “Because it consists of using a woman’s body for gestation, most often in exchange for financial compensation, surrogacy amounts to making women’s bodies a commodity, especially since they are most often the poor women who need this money“. He also states that it is important to “recall that France has signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 7 of which provides that the child has the right to know his biological parents and to be brought up by them, as far as possible. For all these reasons, I am fiercely and resolutely opposed to surrogacy.“.
Marine Le Pen declares: “I said that I understood the suffering of women who cannot have children but surrogacy is a deadly drift for our society, human beings are not objects of consumption“.
Valerie Pécresse is also “opposed to surrogacy because I fiercely oppose any commodification of the human body. It is deeply dehumanizing for surrogate mothers who are reduced to their womb which is given market value.“.
A recognition of filiation requested by left-wing candidates
The left-wing candidates Yannick Jadot, Anne Hidalgo and Philippe Poutou nevertheless stress the urgency of fully recognizing the rights of children born by surrogacy, in particular their registration in the civil registry.
Jean-Luc Melenchon estimate that “Surrogacy entails a risk of drifting into the commodification of the body, to which we are firmly opposed. We also propose to constitutionalize the non-commodification of the human body and the fundamental right to self-determination in all circumstances.“.
Yannick Jadot emphasizes in the preamble that: “First of all, as the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has repeatedly reminded us, followed by that of the Court of Cassation, the recognition of children born of surrogacy abroad is a matter of best interests of the child. Their filiation must be recognized better than the Bioethics law allows, which imposes an often long adoption procedure, so that the rights of the child are effectively respected”. Less categorical than the other candidates, Yannick Jadot declares: “Then , we believe that surrogacy is a complex subject that deserves a real preliminary debate to ensure respect for the fundamental rights of all parties involved. The French situation, where recourse to surrogacy is sometimes market-based abroad, in uncontrolled and socially unequal ethical conditions, is not satisfactory. The reflection must be articulated around the conditions of an ethical and non-commercial surrogacy, respectful both of the rights of the women who bear the children, that of the intended parents or even of the children born in this way.“.
Philippe Poutou condemns commercial surrogacy but insists on the rights of children resulting from this practice: “Regarding surrogacy, we oppose market surrogacy as the commodification of women’s bodies, especially since, in the capitalist system, the non-market forms of altruistic surrogacy between relatives can only be extremely limited. This does not prevent us from defending the rights of children from GPA and in particular their registration in the civil registry to prevent them from being stateless or illegal.“.
Anne Hidalgo judge that “The ethical practice of surrogacy is impossible when it incorporates a market logic that appropriates human relations, allows the renting of a woman’s belly and the purchase of a baby, opening the door to omnipotence. money and the exploitation of the other. I don’t think there is an ethical way to implement surrogacy today. It will always be a question of using the body of a woman who does not necessarily have any other choice. However, children do not have to suffer from the decisions of their parents. They need a rapid filiation so as not to leave them in an insecure semi-filiation. So I am in favor of recognizing the establishment of filiation abroad, with a French judge verifying the veracity and regularity of the judgment.“.
Emmanuel Macron declare “Since 2017, we have been very clear on the subject and we will continue to be: this practice will continue to be prohibited. The question of the dignity of women and their bodies is incompatible with our values. Regarding the very specific issue of children conceived by surrogacy abroad, we have simplified adoption procedures in France since 2017 and we must continue to do so, it is a principle of welcoming children that France must honor“.
Nathalie Arthaud and Jean Lassalle did not comment on this topic. The candidates of the PCF Fabien Roussel and Reconquest! Eric Zemmour did not respond to our questionnaire, which is why their proposals do not appear in our article. You can find all the answers to our questionnaire on the health issues of the different candidates: Emmanuel Macron, Marine Le Pen, Jean-Luc Melenchon, Valerie Pécresse, Yannick Jadot, Anne Hidalgo, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, Philippe Poutou, John Lassalle and Nathalie Arthaud.