France has moved closer to legalising assisted dying after the National Assembly approved legislation allowing eligible adults with incurable illnesses to seek medical assistance to end their lives.
The bill, which fulfils a major social reform pledge by President Emmanuel Macron, now awaits a constitutional review before it can become law.
Reacting to the vote, Macron described the decision as the fulfilment of a commitment he made during his 2022 re-election campaign.
“In 2022, I made a commitment to open this path with the French people. With seriousness, humility, and in full respect of our democracy, that commitment has been honoured,” the French president wrote on X.
Under the proposed law, only adults suffering from an incurable illness who are capable of making a free and informed decision would be eligible for assisted dying. Applicants must also be experiencing unbearable physical pain that cannot be relieved by treatment or have chosen to discontinue life-sustaining treatment.
The process requires an attending physician to assess whether the patient meets the legal criteria before consulting a review panel. The final decision rests with the doctor, while patients retain the right to withdraw their request at any point.
The legislation stipulates that patients must administer the prescribed life-ending medication themselves, except where they are physically incapable, in which case a healthcare professional may assist.
Campaigners welcomed the bill’s passage, describing it as a significant milestone in France’s end-of-life care reforms.
Jonathan Denis, of the Association for the Right to Die with Dignity, praised the vote while noting that more work remains to be done.
Lawmakers also paid tribute to Olivier Falorni, the bill’s sponsor, who has campaigned for assisted dying legislation for several years.
“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 lawmakers.
Although the National Assembly approved the measure, it had earlier been rejected by the Senate. The government relied on a constitutional provision that allows the lower house to have the final say without Senate approval.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has since referred the legislation to the Constitutional Council for a constitutional review, citing concerns that the absence of detailed Senate deliberations left unresolved issues raised by both supporters and opponents of the bill.
The Constitutional Council will determine whether the legislation complies with France’s constitution and may uphold, amend or strike down parts of the law before it takes effect.
The proposal has faced strong opposition from several conservative politicians, including Senate President Gérard Larcher and former Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who argue that it weakens legal protections for human life.
Justine Gruet, a lawmaker from the Republicans party, said the vote would be remembered as “the day the French parliament decided that a human life could be legally ended,” adding that “history will judge us.”
Supporters, however, described the legislation as a landmark social reform. Brigitte Liso, a member of Macron’s Renaissance party, said she was proud to support the bill, expressing hope that it would provide dignity and choice for terminally ill patients.
Demonstrators also gathered outside parliament to protest the legislation, with religious leaders and other opponents voicing concerns about the ethical implications of assisted dying.