After months of debate, expert hearings, and testimonials, the National Assembly has made its decision. Members of the lower house of French Parliament adopted two bills on end-of-life care. The first, on palliative care, was adopted unanimously (560 votes in favor, 0 against). The second, on the “right to die,” was adopted by 305 votes in favor and 199 against.
The bills will now have to be debated by the French Senate, likely this autumn. If approved by both houses, the legislation will be promulgated by the French president.
While the first bill was uncontroversial in its improvement of palliative care provision throughout the country, the bill on “active assistance in dying” crosses a decisive threshold involving major ethical issues. Despite the controversy surrounding the text, which legalizes assisted suicide and euthanasia under the euphemistic term “right to die,” and despite the dissenting voices warning of the risks of abuse, nothing swayed the members of parliament, who were given a free vote by their parties.
The Church in France (and around the world) has been a constant opponent of “active assistance in dying” but its statements have largely fallen on deaf ears.
A “collective defeat”
Numerous members of parliament who supported the bill spoke up, defending the bill as “solid and balanced” and outlining “a clear, demanding, and thoughtful path.” They defend assisted dying as “the ultimate freedom” and a form of compassion.
Those who dissented also spoke out. “Our duty is to protect human frailty rather than erase and abandon it,” emphasized Christophe Benz, one of the strongest opponents of the “right” to assisted dying. He was followed by Patrick Hetzel, who reaffirmed his opposition to the introduction of euthanasia and assisted suicide in France.
“Even today, 500 people die every day because they do not have access to palliative care,” the member of parliament reminded the chamber.
"I say this with gravity: Introducing euthanasia into a healthcare system that is still so inadequately trained in palliative care would not only be a moral failing but a collective defeat. Palliative care is not a fallback solution. It is a promise, a promise of shared humanity to the very end, with respect for life and for the individual."
