France's PM to challenge end-of-life law at Constitutional Council

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is set to challenge key provisions of a new end-of-life law before the Constitutional Council, just a day before its final parliamentary vote. This unexpected move adds another twist to the contentious bill that legalizes euthanasia and assisted suicide.

Lecornu's office stated that this personal initiative, undertaken without consultation with President Emmanuel Macron, stems from the Senate's repeated rejections of the legislation. The Senate's opposition, according to Lecornu's team, indicates that the bill does not adequately address the concerns of both its proponents and those worried about its implementation.

The prime minister's decision signals a potential delay or alteration to the law, which has been a subject of intense debate. The Constitutional Council will now review aspects of the text, including the retraction period for patients seeking assisted death, before it can be fully enacted.

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The Senate's repeated rejections of the bill have not allowed us to arrive at a law that meets the aspirations of its defenders as well as the concerns of those worried about its implementation.