France moves closer to legalising assisted dying

France's National Assembly has approved a bill creating a legal right to assisted dying, bringing the country closer to a major change in end-of-life care. The legislation, passed on Tuesday after a lengthy legislative process, sets out who could qualify, how requests would be made, and the safeguards designed to prevent abuse of the law.

According to BBC News, MPs voted by 291 to 241 to back the bill, which had been rejected three times by the Senate. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is set to refer parts of the bill to France's Constitutional Council for examination before it can become law.

The bill would allow assisted dying for French adults with a "serious and incurable" life-threatening illness "in an advanced or terminal stage," as reported by BBC News. The illness would need to leave them in constant physical or psychological suffering that is unbearable or resistant to treatment.

How the process would work

The patient would need to "freely manifest his or her intention" to a doctor, who would then make a decision after consultation within 15 days, according to BBC News. After two days of reflection, the patient would have to administer a lethal substance themselves. If they were unable to do so, it could be done by a doctor or nurse. The patient's decision to go ahead with the procedure would have to be verified by the physician on the day.

RFI reported that patients would have to meet five conditions to qualify for assisted dying. The bill includes several safeguards, such as the ability for patients to withdraw or postpone the process at any time. Healthcare professionals would have to suspend the process if they believed the patient was under pressure.

Under current legislation, known as the Claeys-Leonetti law, patients in France can refuse or stop medical treatment. In certain cases, they can also receive deep and continuous sedation with pain relief until death. However, healthcare professionals cannot provide or administer a substance to cause death. The words "assisted suicide" and "euthanasia" do not appear anywhere in the text, as noted in RFI's coverage.

Support and opposition

Supporters of the bill say it would give seriously ill patients a final choice, while opponents warn it remains too permissive. Philippe Vigier, an MP from the Democratic Movement, a centrist party which supports the bill, told RFI: "It is the patient who asks. Nobody is forced and nobody is encouraged."

The Association for the Right to Die with Dignity, a campaign group known as ADMD, said the bill would shift decision-making towards seriously ill patients. "It will bring a real change to healthcare democracy by putting the sick person back at the centre of the decision," said ADMD head Jonathan Denis, adding the text would create a "final option" for seriously ill people facing unbearable suffering.

The French Society for Palliative Care and Support, a professional organisation representing palliative care workers, however, strongly opposes the proposed new right. The bill took account of "none of the concerns, none of the warnings" raised by palliative care professionals, according to RFI.

The issue has been highly contentious politically in France, drawing opposition from the Catholic Church and parts of the medical profession, as noted by BBC News. Although it has now been approved four times in the National Assembly, an upper house dominated by right-wing parties had previously rejected the bill.

Broader context

Wednesday's vote means France could join several other European countries that have decriminalised assisted dying in some form. The Netherlands and Belgium legalised assisted dying in 2002 for people with unbearable suffering from incurable illness, allowing it to be administered by a physician. Several other European countries have since passed legislation, and Switzerland has long allowed assisted suicide if the person assisting acts unselfishly, according to BBC News.

In the UK, a bill to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales stalled earlier this year and is set to return to Parliament in September, BBC News reported.

France 24's coverage described the legislation as marking a profound shift in the country's approach to end-of-life care. In an interview with France 24, Anne Reynaud, Board Member of the Association for the Right to Die with Dignity, argued that the law represents meaningful progress while remaining more restrictive than the recommendations of France's Citizens' Convention. She highlighted the enduring tension between individual autonomy, medical safeguards, constitutional oversight, and the complementary role of palliative care, framing assisted dying as an essential component of a broader, more compassionate end-of-life framework rather than an alternative to healthcare. She acknowledged that unresolved legal and clinical grey areas would ultimately be tested through future cases.

Key Claims

  • France's National Assembly approved a bill creating a legal right to assisted dying, as reported by BBC News, France 24, and RFI.
  • The bill would allow assisted dying for French adults with a serious and incurable life-threatening illness in an advanced or terminal stage, as reported by BBC News.
  • Patients would have to meet five conditions to qualify for assisted dying, according to RFI.
  • The bill includes safeguards such as the ability to withdraw or postpone the process at any time, and healthcare professionals must suspend the process if they believe the patient is under pressure, as reported by RFI.
  • The Prime Minister intends to refer parts of the bill to the Constitutional Council for examination, as reported by BBC News and others.