Opposed to assisted dying, Hutin will return Legion of Honour to Macron

Jeanne-Françoise Hutin, founder of the Maison de l’Europe, has declared she will return her Legion of Honour to President Emmanuel Macron in protest against France's new assisted dying law. The law, published in the Official Journal on August 19th after years of debate and constitutional approval, permits assisted suicide and euthanasia under specific conditions. Hutin, who received the distinction from Macron in 2019, had previously vowed to return it if the law passed. She conveyed her "consternation" in an open letter, stating the law "profoundly disrupts our society." She strongly objects to the framing of ending a life as a form of care, calling it a "grave error, a lie." Hutin also argues that the desire to die may stem from moments of "weariness," "sadness," or "despair," or feelings of being "useless" or "a burden to others," rather than a rational choice. The former regional councilor questioned the oath of Hippocrates, which states physicians "shall never intentionally cause death." She voiced concerns for vulnerable individuals, recounting a story of an elderly person who confided in her, expressing uncertainty about how to respond when patients eventually ask for assistance in dying. The new law requires patients to be adults, French citizens or long-term residents, suffering from a serious, incurable, advanced or terminal illness, and capable of making a free and informed choice. They must generally self-administer the lethal dose, unless physically unable. While Hutin acknowledged the Constitutional Council's recognition of freedom of conscience for healthcare institutions and professionals, she believes the priority should be ensuring universal access to palliative care and support. "Before inviting us to organize to end the lives of those who ask for it, we would be more faithful to our humanist and democratic ethics if we first sought to guarantee that everyone can receive support," she stated.

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Comparing the act of giving death to a care constitutes, in my eyes, a grave error, a lie.