Paris, (EFE).- France’s National Assembly approved on Tuesday a historic bill that legalizes euthanasia for terminally ill patients experiencing unbearable suffering, marking a major step in the country’s bioethics legislation.
The bill passed with 305 votes in favor and 199 against. It now moves to the Senate for debate in the fall, with a second reading in the lower house expected in early 2026.
“There is still a long road ahead in Parliament,” Health Minister Catherine Vautrin said after the vote. She called for continued efforts to reach “the broadest possible consensus.”
The legislation would allow patients suffering from advanced, incurable illnesses to request medical assistance in dying, provided they can clearly express their will up to the moment the procedure is carried out.
It excludes individuals in deep coma or those with advanced Alzheimer’s who previously requested euthanasia but cannot confirm their decision at the time of the procedure, a restriction not present in other European countries where euthanasia is already legal.
Patients would be required to submit their request for euthanasia to a panel of doctors, who would have 15 days to review it.
If approved, a two-day reflection period would follow during which the patient may change their mind.
The procedure must then be carried out within three months.
The law also stipulates that patients must self-administer the lethal substance, provided by medical staff.
In cases where the patient is physically unable to do so, a doctor may carry out the act.
The bill was supported by lawmakers from the left and the centrist bloc of President Emmanuel Macron, while conservative parties largely opposed it. However, most parliamentary groups allowed a free vote.
The measure faced a complicated legislative path that began in 2022 but was stalled by early elections in 2024. Vautrin described the approved text as “a French approach, strict and regulated.”
Lawmakers also unanimously passed a separate bill, 560 votes in favor, guaranteeing access to palliative care for all patients in need, regardless of the euthanasia debate.
The proposed euthanasia law has drawn criticism from both sides: advocates say it imposes excessive hurdles, while opponents argue it goes too far.
Still, many lawmakers backing the bill consider it a necessary improvement over the current legal vacuum.
“This is only the beginning,” Vautrin said, emphasizing the need for dialogue in the upcoming Senate debates. EFE
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