Overview
- The National Assembly approved the bill by 291–241 on Wednesday, giving the lower house supremacy that treats the text as enacted while legal review is pending.
- The measure allows terminal patients, under strict eligibility rules, to obtain lethal doses of medication for self‑administration and in certain cases permits doctors or nurses to administer the drugs.
- The Senate rejected the bill on July 7, and Senate president Gérard Larcher has said he will request a pre‑promulgation constitutional review that could block or change the law.
- If the Constitutional Council clears the text, France would join other European countries that allow euthanasia or assisted suicide, but implementation will depend on the council’s timing and any modifications it requires.
- Supporters say the law aims to balance patient autonomy and clinical safeguards through narrow criteria and procedures, while opponents warn it raises ethical and medical questions that the constitutional review must address.