Overview
- The Assemblée nationale gave final approval to the law on July 15, 2026, by 291 votes for, 241 against and 29 abstentions after a multi‑year parliamentary process.
- The statute allows assisted suicide and, in specified cases, euthanasia under five cumulative conditions and a medical procedure that ends with a physician’s written decision.
- Key procedural rules include a mandatory medical assessment by a collegial team, a minimum two‑day reflection period for the patient, and self‑administration unless the person cannot do so physically.
- Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and the president of the Sénat have referred parts of the text to the Conseil constitutionnel to examine the two‑day deadline, protections for ‘majeurs protégés’ and how conscience clauses work for institutions, which pause promulgation while the court decides.
- If the Conseil constitutionnel upholds the law, ministers will issue implementation decrees and hospitals and primary care services will need new procedures, but opponents from political parties, medical bodies, religious groups and disability organisations plan further legal and public scrutiny over risks to vulnerable people.