France’s National Assembly on Thursday approved a bill that would classify rape as any non-consensual sexual act — a landmark shift in the country’s legal approach to sexual violence.

The proposal, passed by 155 votes to 31, defines rape based on the absence of consent rather than solely on the use of force or coercion. It now heads to the Senate for final approval next week, where it is expected to pass.

The reform follows public outrage over the case of Gisele Pelicot, a Frenchwoman who was drugged by her husband and raped by dozens of men he invited to their home. The case reignited a national debate over how French law defines consent.

“This text sends a signal… We are collectively moving from a culture of rape to a culture of consent,” said centrist lawmaker Veronique Riotton, one of the bill’s co-sponsors.

The measure aligns France with other European countries; including Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden that have already enacted consent-based definitions of rape.

Under the new law, consent must be “free and informed, specific, prior and revocable,” and cannot be inferred from “silence or lack of reaction.” The bill also states that any sexual act committed through “violence, coercion, threat, or surprise” constitutes rape, echoing language already found in French law.

Far-right lawmakers opposed the bill, arguing that the revised definition of consent was too vague.

“Lawyers will now have to dissect not the violence of the perpetrator, but the gestures, words, and silence of the person claiming to be the victim,” said National Rally lawmaker Sophie Blanc.

Supporters countered that the reform shifts responsibility to perpetrators to demonstrate that consent was given.

“When it’s not no, it doesn’t mean yes. When it’s yes, it must be a real yes… giving in will never again be consent.” said Green Party legislator Marie-Charlotte Garin.

If approved by the Senate next week, the bill will formally enshrine the principle of affirmative consent into French law for the first time.