PARIS – France has taken a significant step towards allowing assisted dying for adults with terminal illnesses, following a contentious parliamentary vote on Wednesday that divided lawmakers and religious groups.
The legislation, championed by President Emmanuel Macron, was approved by the National Assembly despite opposition from the Senate. If the Constitutional Council gives its approval, France will join countries including the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada in legalising the practice.
Macron, who promised the reform during his 2022 re-election campaign, called it a fulfilled commitment to the French people. “With seriousness, humility, and in full respect of our democracy, that commitment has been honoured,” he wrote on social media platform X.
The law allows adults suffering from an incurable condition to request assisted dying, provided they can express themselves in a “free and informed” manner and are experiencing unbearable physical pain. The pain must either be unresponsive to treatment or considered unbearable by the patient, who has chosen to refuse or stop treatment.
A physician will verify the patient’s eligibility before a panel reviews the criteria. The doctor makes the final decision alone, and patients can withdraw consent at any time. Under the law, patients will self-administer a lethal substance, though those physically unable to do so may receive help from a health worker.
Jonathan Denis from the Association for the Right to Die with Dignity described it as a “historic moment”, though he said more battles remained ahead.
The bill’s author, Olivier Falorni, a former lawmaker turned mayor, received applause from colleagues after years of parliamentary struggle. “Many patients passed away before they had access to this right. My thoughts go out to them, to their loved ones, to their families,” Falorni told the lower house.
The legislation passed easily in the National Assembly but was rejected by the Senate. The government invoked constitutional provisions allowing the lower house to have the final say without Senate approval.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has referred the law to the Constitutional Council for review. His office said the lack of debate in the right-leaning Senate meant the text needed examination to address concerns from both supporters and critics.
The council’s rulings are binding and can, in extreme cases, invalidate entire pieces of legislation or raise concerns about specific sections.
Senior Republicans, including Senate speaker Gérard Larcher and former interior minister Bruno Retailleau, strongly opposed the bill.
Brigitte Liso, a lawmaker from Macron’s centrist Renaissance party, told the assembly she was proud to participate in passing the law. “Proud because one day I will be able to say to my grandchildren: ‘I was there’,” she said.
But Republican lawmaker Justine Gruet warned it would be remembered as “the day the French parliament decided that a human life could be legally ended”.
France legalized same-sex marriage in 2012 and in 2024 became the first country to enshrine abortion rights in its constitution.
Outside parliament, Emmanuel Delhoume, an Orthodox Christian cleric, joined protesters opposing the bill. “I can neither condone abortion, nor marriage for everyone, nor euthanasia,” he told AFP. “It’s a diabolical chain” of events.
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