France’s National Assembly has passed a landmark assisted dying bill allowing adults with incurable illnesses to request lethal medication under strict conditions.
France Legalises Assisted Dying in Landmark Vote
France has crossed a historic threshold. The National Assembly voted 291-241 on Wednesday to approve a bill granting adults with incurable illnesses the legal right to request a lethal substance, France 24 reports. It marks one of the country’s most significant social reforms since same-sex marriage was legalised in 2013.
Under the legislation, patients must be adults capable of expressing themselves freely, suffering from physical pain either unresponsive to treatment or deemed unbearable. A physician verifies eligibility, a panel assesses the criteria, and the patient retains the right to withdraw consent at any time. The lethal substance is normally self-administered, with exceptions for those physically unable.
President Emmanuel Macron, who campaigned on the promise, praised lawmakers’ “respectful debate” following the vote. The bill’s author, Olivier Falorni, called the journey “a marathon with hurdles.”
The fight isn’t entirely over. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has referred the legislation to France’s Constitutional Council, whose rulings are binding and could result in sections being revised or struck down. Senate opposition, led by right-wing heavyweights including Senate speaker Gérard Larcher and former interior minister Bruno Retailleau, remains staunch.
NEWS NOW:
