French Parliament approves assisted suicide law

France's National Assembly has definitively approved a contentious bill establishing the right to "assisted death," allowing eligible patients to access lethal medication under stringent conditions. This landmark legislation, a key initiative of President Emmanuel Macron, passed the lower house with 291 votes in favor and 241 against after years of debate.

With this adoption, France joins a list of countries including Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Canada, and Uruguay that permit assisted dying. The French law is specifically reserved for adults suffering from an incurable illness who can provide free and informed consent. They must also be experiencing physical suffering that is resistant to treatment or, in their view, unbearable if they choose to forgo or discontinue medical procedures.

A physician will be responsible for verifying that a patient meets all the criteria before a committee further evaluates the case. The final decision rests with the doctor, and the patient retains the right to withdraw consent at any time. The law stipulates that the patient must self-administer the lethal substance, unless physical limitations prevent them from doing so.

Despite the legislative victory, opponents are not conceding. Protesters, identifying as the 'Front de gauche antivalidiste,' demonstrated outside the National Assembly, carrying banners with slogans like "euthanasia = cost savings" and "Before a dignified death, we want a dignified life." They voiced concerns that the law could be driven by cost-cutting measures and argued for prioritizing a dignified life over a dignified death.

The bill's journey is not over, as Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has requested the Constitutional Council, France's highest constitutional authority, to review the legislation. The Council has the power to invalidate the entire law or raise objections to specific provisions.

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La ley “se aprobará porque es equilibrada”