It is the first time that the French president has publicly expressed his support for the law to 'help in dying', since he himself announced the legislative project in May 2023. Although under pressure from conservatism and the French Catholic Church, Macron revealed that will push for the law to be debated in Parliament next May.
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It is not euthanasia, it is assisted death. The President of France gave an interview to the newspaper 'Libération', in which was in favor of adopting a law regarding assisted dying (the medical proportion of means for a patient to cause his death), similar to that existing in Switzerland, but distant from what Belgium has included within its legal framework, as expressed by Macron.
Although France already has a law, approved in 2016, that allows sedation and palliative care in terminal patients, the possibility of ending the life of those patients who voluntarily require it is not contemplated.
“It does not create, in the strict sense, a new right or freedom, but it traces a path that did not exist until now and thatabout the possibility of requesting assistance in dying under certain strict conditions“explained Emmanuel Macron, adding that with the legislative proposal, French society “looks death face to face.”
The president was very punctual in clarifying that the law “is not assisted suicide,” nor is it “euthanasia as such,” this because the practice of assisted death contemplated by the legislation would be subject to certain restrictions that would make it impossible to carry out otherwise. be complied with, reducing the margin of action of this hypothetical law to a very specific sector of terminal patients.
Among the conditions required to be eligible for the assisted death proposed by the Macron Government is be of legal age, have a “clear discernment” when requiring assistance and suffer from an illness that threatens the patient's life prognosis in the short or medium term, such as terminal cancer.
“This is a law of fraternity because it allows us to choose the least bad when death is at the door,” said the French head of state, adding that the patient's relatives could also appeal the decision.
184 citizens participated in the construction of the project, with 76% consensus
The legislative project for assisted dying is based on the participation of 184 citizens, chosen at random by the Government, who embarked on a debate that began in December 2023.
The results showed that 76% of the participants agreed to promote a form of assisted death within French legislation.
On this basis, the bill will first go to the offices of the Council of State, with the aim of analyzing its constitutional alignment, and then go to the Council of Ministers in April and complete a first reading within the French Parliament in May.
Macron explained that, being “a text with so many challenges”, there was no interest in giving urgency to the process, prioritizing the holistic construction of possible legislation on assisted dying.
Although around 70% of French citizens agree on the need to incorporate a law regarding euthanasia, something that is not contemplated in the current legislative project, political representations do not seem aligned with these interests.
The ruling party, Renaissance, only has a relative majority in the Lower House of the French Parliament, so it would need to negotiate agreements with the left and the right to be able to approve the ambitious law.
With EFE and Reuters
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