France's approval for seriously ill patients to voluntarily end their lives

Marking a significant milestone in the field of social reform in France, the historic bill on the "right to assisted dying," which allows individuals suffering from severe illnesses to end their lives by their own will, has received final approval from the National Assembly, the lower house of the French Parliament.

After numerous lengthy debates, in the decisive vote held on July 15, 2026, the bill received 291 votes in favor and 241 against. Following the failure of attempts to reach an agreement between the two houses due to strong conservative opposition in the Senate, the lower house, which holds the power of final decision, took this historic step.

The beginning of this legal process is marked by President Emmanuel Macron's promise in 2022 to legislate new laws concerning the end of life, and a citizens' convention convened in early 2023 also emphasized the need for a mechanism to provide active assistance for dying. Accordingly, this bill, which passed its first reading in the National Assembly by a majority vote in May 2025, was also debated in various rounds throughout 2026. However, the French Senate, where conservative political groups hold a majority, took steps to reject this bill on several occasions, both in January 2026 and July 2026. Concurrently with this law, an additional law granting equal rights to all for patient care services (palliative care) had also been almost unanimously passed and promulgated in May 2026.

According to the new legal provisions, assisted suicide, where the patient self-administers a lethal substance, is accepted as the primary rule, and euthanasia, performed with the assistance of a doctor or nurse, is permitted only in exceptional cases where the patient has physical difficulty doing it alone. Five strict conditions have been imposed for an individual to obtain this right: accordingly, the person must be a French citizen or permanent resident aged 18 or over, and suffering from a severe, incurable disease with a life-threatening prognosis. Furthermore, suffering from severe physical or psychological pain that cannot be alleviated by treatment, and being of sound mind to make a decision of their own free will, are also mandatory.

This law does not apply to individuals suffering solely from psychological distress, and all requests must be submitted in writing to the relevant doctor, not through relatives or other parties. Subsequently, the doctor must consult with specialists and care teams and provide a decision within 15 days, and the patient is granted a minimum two-day reflection period to change their decision and can withdraw the request at any time. Healthcare workers have the right to not participate in this process based on their conscience, and in such cases, referring the patient to another doctor is mandatory.

A highly controversial situation arose in the French political sphere regarding this bill, with centrist parties, left-wing groups, and Macron supporters speaking in favor, praising it as a step taken for humanity and fraternity. However, right-wing groups such as Les Républicains (LR) and Rassemblement National (National Rally) strongly opposed it, stating that it would lead to abandoning patients and raise moral and religious issues. This aims to balance autonomy and patient protection within French society, which is influenced by the Catholic Church and has an aging population. With this historic step, France joins countries like Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, and Canada, which have legalized assisted dying, but with stricter limitations than in other countries. With broad public support for this, it is expected that this new law will be practically implemented from 2027, following a review by the Constitutional Council.