French deputies are proceeding today with a key vote on a bill introducing the right to end-of-life assistance. After days of heated debate and the consideration of over two thousand amendments, parliament will decide the fate of a reform that has caused deep social and political divisions. The bill, considered one of the most significant societal changes of the decade, provides for the legalization of assisted suicide and, in specific cases, euthanasia under strict medical supervision.

Parliament's decisive vote

The National Assembly is voting on the full text of the law after a week of intensive work on amendments.

Controversy over the role of doctors

The amendment allowing medical personnel to administer poison is opposed even by some supporters of the reform.

Strengthening palliative care

The bill contains consensual clauses on the development of palliative care and the construction of intermodal care centers.

Gisèle Pelicot's bestseller

The book is a symbol of the fight for dignity; her memoirs have achieved record sales in Europe and the USA.

The French National Assembly is finalizing the legislative process for the bill on assisted dying. The vote, originally scheduled for Tuesday, was postponed by a day due to the need to consider a record number of amendments. The atmosphere in parliament remains tense, and the outcome of the final vote is uncertain due to recent changes in the text that have alarmed some deputies from the ruling coalition and the center. The National Assembly adopted, among other provisions, clauses on the creation of companion homes for people in palliative care and, most controversially, a provision allowing medical personnel to administer a lethal substance in cases where the patient is physically incapable of self-administration. This issue has become the flashpoint of the debate. Opponents of the reform, including numerous representatives of the right and medical communities, warn of opening a "Pandora's box." Deputy and doctor Philippe Juvin criticizes the rejection of safeguard mechanisms which, in his opinion, could prevent abuse. Meanwhile, supporters of the bill, represented by rapporteur Olivier Falorni, emphasize that the law responds to citizens' expectations and provides a humane solution in situations of extreme suffering. The current law in France, the Claeys-Leonetti law of 2016, only allows for deep and continuous sedation until death for terminal patients, which has been criticized for years as an insufficient solution. An important element of the new regulation is the establishment of a crime of obstruction of access to end-of-life assistance, punishable by up to two years in prison. Simultaneously, to maintain balance, deputies introduced penalties for incitement to end one's life. Beyond the parliamentary debate, French public opinion is captivated by the publishing success of Gisèle Pelicot, whose memoirs describing the trial concerning the Mazan rapes have become a bestseller, highlighting the importance of reforms concerning dignity and control over one's own body. „J'estime que ce texte va trop loin et ouvre une boîte de Pandore sans poser les limites suffisantes.” (I believe this text goes too far and opens a Pandora's box without setting sufficient limits.) — Maud Bregeon Key aspects of the new law: Method of administration: Sedation only → Self-administration or medical assistance; Palliative care: Underfunded → Creation of companion homes; Legal protection: No specific penalties → Two-year prison sentence for obstruction

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