The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has said that he will propose a bill legalising “aid in dying” for terminally ill people.
The French president announced his intention to introduce a bill to the National Assembly in May in an interview released on Monday.
This proposed legislation would specifically target adults with short to medium-term illnesses, like advanced-stage cancer. The decision is influenced by public opinion polls indicating significant support for such measures.
The bill will apply to adults who are fully capable of making decisions and to those facing “intractable” physical or psychological pain and death in “short or middle-term,” Macron said.
Minors and patients suffering from psychiatric or neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s will not be eligible.
The proposed substance can be administered either at the patient’s residence, in eldercare facilities, or in specialized care centers. Upon submitting a request for assistance in dying, medical experts will have 15 days to provide a response.
If approved, the authorization will remain valid for three months, during which the patient retains the option to withdraw their request. In cases where the request is declined, the patient has the option to seek a second opinion from another medical team or to appeal the decision.
Macron emphasized the importance of patient consent and medical oversight, steering away from terms like assisted suicide or euthanasia. He highlighted the need for precise criteria and medical opinion in the process.
Previously, French patients seeking to end their lives due to pain had to seek assistance abroad, often in neighbouring Belgium.
While passive euthanasia, such as withholding artificial life support, has been legalized since 2005 as a “right to die,” active euthanasia, involving doctors administering lethal drugs to patients with incurable conditions, remains illegal.
Similarly, assisted suicide, where patients receive help to voluntarily end their lives, is also prohibited.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal wrote on X that the bill would be presented to the French Parliament from May 27. “Death can no longer be a taboo issue and subject to silence,” he added.
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