French MPs adopt assisted dying law pending court review
France has adopted an assisted dying law that would align it with several European neighbours, though the legislation must still survive a mandatory constitutional review.
The French parliament has adopted legislation establishing a right to assisted dying for adults suffering from incurable conditions and unbearable physical pain. The bill, which passed the lower house after being rejected by the Senate, represents a major social reform championed by President Emmanuel Macron since his 2022 re-election.
Under the law, patients capable of making a "free and informed" choice can request a lethal substance, which they must self-administer unless physically unable. A physician verifies eligibility and a panel assesses the criteria, but the final medical decision rests solely with the doctor. Patients retain the right to withdraw consent at any time.
If approved by the constitutional authority, France will join countries including the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada in legalising the practice. For European healthcare systems, the French model places a distinct operational and ethical burden on physicians, who are given sole authority over the final decision to end a patient's life.
The legislation's path was contentious. It easily passed the National Assembly but was rejected by the right-leaning Senate. The government used a constitutional mechanism to let the lower house have the final say without the Senate's assent.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu subsequently asked the Constitutional Council to examine the text, citing the lack of upper-chamber debate. The council's rulings are binding, meaning it can either invalidate the legislation entirely or express reservations about specific sections.
Bill author Olivier Falorni received applause from lawmakers after years of pushing the measure. "Many patients passed away before they had access to this right. My thoughts go out to them, to their loved ones, to their families," Falorni told the assembly. Jonathan Denis, of the Association for the Right to Die with Dignity, called it a "historic moment".
Opposition remains fierce. Right-wing Republicans, including Senate speaker Gerard Larcher and former interior minister Bruno Retailleau, staunchly opposed the bill. "History will judge us," said Republican lawmaker Justine Gruet, adding it was the day parliament decided "that a human life could be legally ended."
The vote continues a broader shift in French social policy, coming after the country became the first in the world to enshrine abortion rights in its constitution in 2024. Outside parliament, Orthodox Christian cleric Emmanuel Delhoume protested the bill, calling it part of a "diabolical chain" alongside same-sex marriage and abortion. Macron wrote on X that the commitment was honoured "with seriousness, humility, and in full respect of our democracy."
