French President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled plans for new legislation that would legalize “aid in dying,” marking a significant shift in end-of-life care policies within the country.
The announcement comes in the wake of a report from last year, which indicated widespread support among French citizens for legalizing end-of-life options.
In an interview published on Monday by French newspapers La Croix and Liberation, Macron outlined the key elements of the proposed bill. Under the new legislation, only adults facing an incurable illness and expected to die in the “short or middle-term” would be eligible for assistance in ending their lives. This assistance would be limited to individuals experiencing “intractable” physical or psychological pain.
Macron emphasized that the law would provide a specific pathway for individuals in dire circumstances, with strict criteria guiding medical decisions. He cited examples of people with terminal cancer, noting that some had previously traveled abroad to seek end-of-life options.
The eligibility criteria outlined by Macron specify that only individuals aged 18 or older who are capable of making independent decisions would be considered. Those with severe psychiatric conditions or neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, would not qualify for assistance under the proposed legislation.
Patients seeking to utilize the aid-in-dying process would be required to confirm their choice after a 48-hour period. Subsequently, they would receive a response from a medical team within a maximum of two weeks. A doctor would then issue a prescription for lethal medication, valid for three months.
According to Macron, individuals would have the option to take the medication at home, in a nursing home, or at a healthcare facility. Those unable to administer the medication themselves would be permitted to receive assistance from a chosen individual, a doctor, or a nurse.
Macron emphasized that the proposed bill would use the term “aid in dying,” describing it as a straightforward and compassionate approach, rather than employing terms like euthanasia or medically assisted suicide.
Medically assisted suicide typically involves patients voluntarily ingesting prescribed medication, while euthanasia involves healthcare practitioners administering a lethal injection at the patient’s request.
Macron did not specify a timeline for the implementation of the legislation, indicating that it would undergo a legislative process beginning in May.
France currently has legislation allowing doctors to sedate terminally ill patients before death, but it does not permit assisted suicide or euthanasia. Consequently, some French patients have sought such options in other European countries, including Switzerland and Portugal, where assisted suicide is legal. Euthanasia is permitted in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Spain under certain conditions.