Democratic Party deputy Gérard Schockmel responded in Parliament on Wednesday to criticism of his earlier comments on abortion, stressing that he had expressed a personal view on what he called a "complex and nuanced" constitutional question.
After initially declining to comment on the controversy surrounding his recent remarks, Gérard Schockmel briefly addressed the issue on Wednesday during a Parliamentary debate on a resolution proposed by the Greens (déi Gréng) to strengthen gender equality principles.
Although the session’s main focus was gender equality, much of the discussion centered on Schockmel’s earlier statements. In his short intervention, he defended his opinion piece, describing the question of whether to include the right to abortion in the Constitution as a complex and nuanced issue.
He stressed that he had expressed a personal opinion and welcomed the fact that deputies were able to vote freely, without party discipline.
Schockmel also noted that he had referred to Simone Veil as "a great feminist," adding that "our society owes a lot to her humanist feminism." He said he found that same spirit of humanism reflected within his own party, the Democratic Party (DP), which he described as having "a long tradition, nearly 70 years, of advancing reforms in favour of women’s rights, families, and children."
He concluded by saying he felt "well placed" within the DP, citing Anne Brasseur, Colette Flesch, Lydie Polfer, and Corinne Cahen as "great women" who embody those same values.
