France passes assisted-dying law
After years of debate, the French National Assembly has given final passage to a law on active assisted dying. Seriously and terminally ill adults will gain a right to assisted dying under strict conditions. A constitutional challenge is expected before it takes effect.
With the final vote of the National Assembly, France has passed a law on assisted dying for seriously and terminally ill people that allows assisted suicide under strict conditions. Die Zeit and Deutschlandfunk describe the conclusion of a long parliamentary path that traces back to a campaign promise by President Macron and was preceded by an intense ethical debate. Politico notes that a constitutional challenge is expected against the law before it can take effect; the government intends to have the Constitutional Council review it. Because the National Assembly and the more conservative Senate could not agree, the lower house was given the final word after several readings, as the constitution permits. Supporters celebrate an advance for self-determination, while conservative and church-aligned critics warn of a slippery slope; coverage by the liberal and public-service sources remains largely factual. The exact entry into force now depends on the Constitutional Council's decision.