
French deputies set for first vote on assisted dying bill
The initiative has the backing of President Emmanuel Macron, who has insisted, however, that any authorisation to choose death should be limited to people with incurable illnesses and intense physical or psychological pain.
A favourable decision in Tuesday's first National Assembly reading would be an initial stage for the draft law, which will then go back and forth between the lower house and the Senate for modifications acceptable to both houses.
Macron could, however, decide in the meantime to put the deeply divisive topic to a vote by referendum.
If the law is approved, France would join a small group of European countries with legislation covering the right to aid in dying that includes Germany, Spain, Austria and Switzerland.
A separate bill, submitted at the same time and concerned with end-of-life medical assistance including palliative care, is expected to pass Tuesday without significant opposition.
But the second bill, specifically concerned with the right to assisted dying and brought by Macron ally Olivier Falorni, is likely to spark more resistance.
All parliamentary factions have allowed their members to vote according to their personal convictions and free of party constraints.
Leftist and centrist parties are expected to vote in favour of the bill, with conservatives and far-right deputies seen broadly hostile.
The bill is widely referred to as focusing on "end of life" or "aid in dying" in the French debate, rather than "assisted suicide" or "euthanasia".
'Expressed such a wish'
Falorni's bill would allow medical staff to help "a person gain access to a lethal substance when they have expressed such a wish".
The patient would use such a substance without aid or have it administered by a medically qualified person "if they are in no condition physically to do so themselves".
Health Minister Catherine Vautrin said at the weekend that the "French model" of assisted dying would be "strict and closely supervised".
Macron said last year that France needed the law because "there are situations you cannot humanely accept".
The goal was "to reconcile the autonomy of the individual with the solidarity of the nation", he said.
The bill is facing stiff opposition from religious leaders in a country with a longstanding Catholic tradition, as well as many health workers.
Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, a devout Catholic, said Tuesday that he would abstain if he were a deputy because of lingering "questions" but added he was confident that the National Assembly would provide answers.
The draft law would allow recourse to assisted dying only in an "advanced" stage of illness, which it defines as "entering an irreversible process characterised by a worsening health condition of the sick person that affects the quality of their lives".
Until now, French patients in pain wishing to end their lives have had to travel abroad, including to neighbouring Belgium.
Current French legislation allows passive euthanasia, such as withholding artificial life support, and since 2016 doctors have also been authorised to induce "deep and continuous sedation" for terminally ill patients in pain.
But active euthanasia, whereby doctors administer lethal doses of drugs to patients, remains illegal.
Vautrin said she hopes that the Senate will begin examining the issue before the end of this year, and submit its suggested changes back to the National Assembly in early 2026.
"I want this bill to get a final vote by 2027 which is still possible," said the minister.
France holds presidential elections in 2027 in which Macron cannot stand after serving two consecutive terms.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Local France
25 minutes ago
- Local France
France eyes social media ban for under-15s after school stabbing
A secondary school pupil was arrested on Tuesday after killing a 31-year-old school assistant with a knife during a bag search in Nogent in eastern France. "I am proposing banning social media for children under 15," President Emmanuel Macron said on X on Tuesday evening. "Platforms have the ability to verify age. Let's do it," he added. France has been discussing restrictions on social media access, and screen time in general, for children for several years after the publication of two expert reports into the topic . Advertisement Backed by France and Spain, Greece has spearheaded a proposal for how the EU should limit children's use of online platforms as evidence shows that social media can have negative effects on children's mental and physical health. Macron said on Tuesday that if no progress was made within several months, then France would go ahead with the ban unilaterally. "We cannot wait," he told broadcaster France 2. France has in recent years seen several attacks on teachers and pupils by other schoolchildren. In March, police started random searches for knives and other weapons concealed in bags at and around schools. On Wednesday, Prime Minister François Bayrou's office said a ban on the sale of knives to minors will be implemented by a decree issued within the next two weeks. Speaking to broadcaster TF1 on Tuesday evening, Bayrou said that the measure would come into force "immediately". The list will include "any knife that can be used as a weapon", he said. Bayrou has also called for a trial of metal detectors in schools. Education Minister Elisabeth Borne called for a minute's silence to be held in all French schools at midday on Thursday to honour the memory of the teaching assistant. Advertisement "The entire educational community is in shock, as is the whole nation," she told France Inter radio. Borne said she was "open to anything" to improve safety but added that ceramic blades would be invisible to metal detectors.


Local France
25 minutes ago
- Local France
French Word of the Day: Ubérisation
Why do I need to know ubérisation? Because you might see this used to describe changing industries in France. What does it mean? Ubérisation - roughly pronounced oo-berr-ee-za-see-ohn - would best translate as 'uberisation', though this is not very commonly used in English and might have a different connotation. As you might have guessed, this is an anglicism using the root word 'Uber', in reference to the ride-hail company. Technically, ubérisation refers to the rethinking of a traditional economic structure by connecting customers and service providers directly through an app or digital platform. While this allows for more flexibility, critics also see the 'gig economy' as a source of economic insecurity for workers. As such, you might hear about an industry undergoing ubérisation in France, and usually this is not a compliment. Advertisement Oftentimes, it is used synonymously with dégradation of a workforce, or précarisation (creation of insecurity, usually financial). Many people in France see the gig economy model as directly opposed to French employment standards, particularly when it comes to workers' rights. Although Uber is far from the only 'gig economy' company operating in France, it was the first ride-share business to enter the market, and was the subject of fierce protests by French taxi drivers. It has therefore come to symbolise this type of business, becoming a French verb in the process. Like most 'borrow' words, ubériser has become a standard 'er' verb in French, conjugated in the normal way, although the noun ubérisation is more commonly used in everyday French. Use it like this Les enseignants se plaignent de l'ubérisation de la profession avec de plus en plus d'enseignants contractuels. - Teachers are complaining about an uberization of the sector with more and more teachers on temporary contracts. Nous assistons à une ubérisation du secteur, ce qui a pour conséquence que moins de personnes ont un CDI et moins de personnes bénéficient d'une protection totale de l'emploi. - We are witnessing an uberization of the sector, and as a result, fewer people have permanent contracts and fewer people have full employment protections.


Euronews
an hour ago
- Euronews
Austria's gun laws come under scrutiny after 10 die in school shooting
A day after a gunman attacked a school in Graz and killed 10, including students, many in Austria were left questioning how such an act of violence could occur, turning attention to the country's gun laws. According to police, the 21-year-old attacker legally owned both weapons used in the assault on Tuesday: a Glock pistol and a shotgun. According to Kleine Zeitung newspaper, the attacker had purchased one of the weapons just days before carrying out the attack. To acquire it legally, he was required to pass a psychological evaluation, Süddeutsche Zeitung reported, citing Austrian authorities. Around 1.5 million weapons are registered in Austria - a country with a population of just over 9 million and more liberal gun laws relative to the rest of Europe. After the attack, a debate on the country's laws is gaining pace, with Graz Mayor Elke Kahr calling for a ban on weapons in the private sector on Tuesday evening. In her opinion, gun licences are "simply issued too quickly". Austrian newspaper Der Standard reported that there are approximately 400,000 more weapons in the Alpine country today than there were five years ago. Compared to other European countries such as Germany or France, Austria's gun laws are considered to be somewhat more liberal, especially in how they allow for handgun ownership and cite self-defence as a reason to be able to carry weapons. Austria's Weapons Act divides firearms into four categories: Prohibited weapons (category A), firearms subject to authorisation (category B), firearms subject to registration (category C) and other firearms (category D). The possession of category B weapons — such as pistols or semi-automatic rifles — is only permitted with a firearms licence or a firearms pass. The latter also authorises the holder to carry the weapon in public. Category C and D weapons — such as hunting rifles — may be purchased from the age of 18, but must be registered in the Central Weapons Register within six weeks. In Austria, the basic requirements for legal possession of weapons include being of legal age, holding a permanent residence permit, and not having a weapons ban. Depending on the weapon category, additional proof such as reliability, training, and evidence of justification may also be required. Weapons and ammunition must be stored safely at home, usually in a gun cabinet, and may only be transported unloaded and in a locked container. Austrian authorities have widely condemned the attack, said to be Austria's worst mass shooting since World War II. Austria's President Alexander Van der Bellen said the 'horror could not be put into words', while Chancellor Christian Stocker has declared three days of national mourning in response to the tragedy.