The National Assembly has adopted on first reading a bill legalizing assisted dying for terminally ill patients by 305-199 votes. It will now be sent to the Senate for adoption sometimes during the fall, before it can become law.
The bill allows adult patients affected by “grave and incurable diseases in advanced or terminal phase”, enduring “unbearable and treatment-resistant psychological and physical pain”, and “able to give informed consent”, to request the administration of a lethal substance. More restrictive than comparable systems in Canada, Belgium or the Netherlands, the bill excludes patients who only suffer from psychological pain – such as depressive or mentally ill patients – and does not allow for anticipatory directives, thus excluding patients who cannot give informed consent, such as patients affected by Alzheimer’s disease or in a nonresponsive state.
The bill was adopted with large support from the left-wing and centrist parties and opposition from right and far-right parties, although parliamentary groups did not give constraining directives and allowed their members to vote according to their conscience. A separate vote earlier in the afternoon saw a related bill increasing funding for hospice care pass unanimously.
The legalization of assisted suicide for terminally ill patients found overwhelming support among voters, who were 89% to back this measure in a 2024 poll.
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The National Assembly has adopted on first reading a bill legalizing assisted dying for terminally ill patients by 305-199 votes. It will now be sent to the Senate for adoption sometimes during the fall, before it can become law.
The bill allows adult patients affected by “grave and incurable diseases in advanced or terminal phase”, enduring “unbearable and treatment-resistant psychological and physical pain”, and “able to give informed consent”, to request the administration of a lethal substance. More restrictive than comparable systems in Canada, Belgium or the Netherlands, the bill excludes patients who only suffer from psychological pain – such as depressive or mentally ill patients – and does not allow for anticipatory directives, thus excluding patients who cannot give informed consent, such as patients affected by Alzheimer’s disease or in a nonresponsive state.
The bill was adopted with large support from the left-wing and centrist parties and opposition from right and far-right parties, although parliamentary groups did not give constraining directives and allowed their members to vote according to their conscience. A separate vote earlier in the afternoon saw a related bill increasing funding for hospice care pass unanimously.
The legalization of assisted suicide for terminally ill patients found overwhelming support among voters, who were 89% to back this measure in a 2024 poll.