France has taken a major step towards legalising assisted dying after parliament approved a landmark bill granting eligible adults with incurable illnesses the right to seek medical assistance to end their lives.
The legislation, championed by President Emmanuel Macron, now awaits a review by the Constitutional Council before it can become law. If approved, France will join countries including the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada in permitting assisted dying under specific legal conditions.
The reform fulfils a pledge Macron made during his successful 2022 re-election campaign and is regarded as one of France’s most significant social policy changes since the legalisation of same-sex marriage in 2012.
Under the new law, adults suffering from an incurable illness may qualify for assisted dying if they are able to make a free and informed decision and are experiencing severe physical pain that cannot be relieved by treatment, or which they consider unbearable after choosing to stop or refuse treatment.
A physician must first assess whether the patient meets the legal requirements before a medical panel reviews the case. The final decision rests with the doctor, while the patient retains the right to withdraw consent at any stage.
In most cases, the patient will administer the prescribed lethal substance themselves. However, a healthcare professional may assist if the patient is physically unable to do so.
Supporters described the vote as a historic victory for patient autonomy. Jonathan Denis of the Association for the Right to Die with Dignity called it a “historic moment”, while the bill’s author, Olivier Falorni, paid tribute to patients who died before such legislation became possible.
Although the National Assembly overwhelmingly approved the bill, the Senate rejected it. Under France’s Constitution, the lower house was allowed to adopt the legislation without Senate approval.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has referred the law to the Constitutional Council for constitutional review, citing concerns over the absence of detailed Senate debate and the need to ensure balanced implementation.
The proposal has sharply divided political leaders and wider society. Members of the conservative Republicans party strongly opposed the legislation, arguing it crosses an ethical line.
Republican lawmaker Justine Gruet said the vote would be remembered as the day parliament decided “that a human life could be legally ended”, adding that “history will judge us”.
Outside parliament, religious groups also protested the measure. Orthodox Christian cleric Emmanuel Delhoume described the law as part of a “diabolical chain” of social reforms, linking it to previous legislation on abortion and same-sex marriage.
