Human rights and access to abortion are European values, says France’s PM after Italy election

PARIS (Reuters) -French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said the European Union would closely follow the respect of certain human rights and values such as women’s access to abortion, as she responded to Italy’s election result.

“In Europe, we have certain values and, obviously, we will be vigilant”, Borne told RMC Radio and BFM TV.

“It is a human rights value and the respect of others, namely the right to have access to abortion, should be upheld by all,” Borne also said, while adding she did not want to comment on the “democratic choice of the Italian people”.

Giorgia Meloni looked set to become Italy’s first woman prime minister at the head of its most right-wing government since World War Two.

During the election campaign, Meloni has repeatedly denied suggestions she might roll back legislation on abortion or gay rights, while reaffirming her opposition to adoptions and surrogacy for LGBT couples.

(Reporting by Tassilo Hummel;Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)