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4d ago

French Assembly Opens Debate on End-of-Life Bills

Deputies begin two weeks of discussion on palliative care expansion and a contentious right-to-die proposal with final votes set for May 27.

L’examen de la proposition de loi sur l’aide à mourir sera en débat dans l’Hémicycle ce lundi après-midi.
Si pour le ministre de l’Intérieur, Bruno Retailleau (ici, à gauche, le 6 mai, à l’Assemblée nationale) le texte constitue une « rupture anthropologique », la ministre du Travail, de la Santé et des Solidarités, Catherine Vautrin (à droite), promet de son côté une loi « strictement encadrée ».
Manifestation de protestation contre la légalisation de l’aide à mourir, organisée par Alliance Vita, sur la place Vauban, à Paris, en mai 2024.
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Overview

  • The French National Assembly is debating two bills: one to guarantee palliative care access and another to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide under strict conditions.
  • Health Minister Catherine Vautrin plans to introduce amendments defining 'phase avancée' and reinstating a mandatory 48-hour reflection period for assisted-dying requests.
  • The assisted-dying bill, sponsored by Olivier Falorni, has already passed committee approval by 28 votes to 15 but faces significant opposition from conservative and far-right parties.
  • Only 48% of palliative care needs were met in 2023, prompting a decade-long strategy to expand access, including the creation of 'opposable rights' to such care.
  • The debate highlights deep political and ethical divisions, with proponents emphasizing autonomy and opponents warning of societal and medical risks.