Anna Hartz
Lawmakers Vote to Allow Assisted Dying in France
France has been debating the right to die for years. This week, the country took its biggest step yet.
The French National Assembly voted to approve a bill that would allow euthanasia under strict conditions, according to 20Minutos.
It’s the first time a law like this has passed in the lower house of Parliament.
The bill allows terminally ill patients in severe pain to ask for medical help to end their lives.
To qualify, a person must be in the advanced stages of an incurable illness and suffering badly.
They must be able to make the request themselves, clearly and freely, right up until the moment the procedure is carried out.
The vote passed with 305 lawmakers in favor and 199 against. Now the bill goes to the Senate.
If it passes there, it will return to the Assembly again in 2026 for a final vote.
The proposal has divided opinion. It was supported by left-wing parties and President Macron’s centrist group.
The conservative right mostly opposed it, though lawmakers were allowed to vote based on personal belief.
The bill has had a slow road through Parliament, first introduced in 2022 and delayed by early elections in 2024.
There are strict rules in the bill. The patient’s request must be reviewed by a group of doctors.
They have up to 15 days to make a decision. If approved, there’s a two-day period for the patient to change their mind.
The euthanasia must take place within three months after that.
Patients will be given the means to end their lives themselves, using a substance provided by medical staff.
If they are physically unable, a doctor will do it for them. However, people with advanced Alzheimer’s or in a coma will not qualify, even if they had requested euthanasia earlier.
This is different from how things are handled in other European countries.
At the same time, lawmakers unanimously approved a separate bill to improve access to palliative care.
Some say the euthanasia law goes too far. Others say it doesn’t go far enough. But many agree it’s a meaningful step.