French parliament begins debate on bill to legalize 'assisted dying'

By Nur Asena Erturk

ANKARA (AA) – The French parliament on Monday began debate on a bill to legalize "assisted dying," which the health minister says is not euthanasia, according to media reports.

The draft law seeking to legalize “assisted dying” will be debated for two weeks in the lower chamber of parliament, or the National Assembly, with a final vote scheduled for June 11.

At the start of the session, Health Minister Catherine Vautrin introduced the proposed legislation to the National Assembly, stressing its importance for adoption.

"What ethical response can we give to unbearable situations of suffering? she asked. Can we turn a blind eye to situations of unbearable pain that medicine and the current legislation cannot answer? Can we accept that some of our citizens go abroad to end their days? ... It must be noted that the current legislation in force is no longer enough," she said, persuading other members to support the government in passing the bill.

The eligibility criteria for assisted dying are that you must be over the age of 18, have a serious and incurable illness in the advanced or terminal stage, suffer from an untreatable and unbearable physical condition as well as psychological suffering associated with it, and be able to express your will freely.

Lethal substances in assisted dying can be administered by the patient if they are capable, a doctor, a nurse, or someone the patient designates and who accepts to administer it.

The bill also includes a one-year sentence and a €15,000 (approximately $16,300) fine for attempting to prevent someone from engaging in assisted dying or learning about it.

Vautrin clarified that this is not a euthanasia model because an outsider only intervenes if the patient is unable to physically administer the lethal substance. It is not an authorization to commit suicide because there are strict conditions and a medical decision.

She stressed that this bill is genuinely French, and does not copy examples in Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, or Austria.