France: The National Assembly endorses the legalization of euthanasia in a first vote

On Tuesday, the French National Assembly approved, in first reading, a bill legalizing and regulating euthanasia for patients with incurable diseases who suffer "unbearable pain."

The vote resulted in 305 votes in favor and 199 against. The text will now pass to the Senate for revision, before returning to the Assembly for a second reading, scheduled for early 2026.

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, on his X account noted:

"The vote in the National Assembly on the texts on the development of palliative care and assisted dying is an important step. With respect for sensitivities, doubts and hopes, the path of fraternity that I have so longed for is gradually opening up. With dignity and humanity."

While, the health minister, Catherine Vautrin, noted on her X account:

"The Assembly also voted by a large majority in favor of creating a strictly regulated assisted dying. This end-of-life text affirms that freedom and dignity do not stop at death's door. It recognizes suffering, listens to life stories, protects the most vulnerable and gives due weight to ethics and medicine."

The proposal has generated an intense debate in France, reflected in the division of opinions during the vote: the left-wing bloc and the Macronist center mostly supported the initiative, while the conservative right showed resistance. However, some of its members voted in favor.

Details of the law

The new regulation establishes that patients with serious or incurable diseases in advanced stages, experiencing unbearable suffering and able to express their will freely and consciously, will be able to request an "active aid in dying."

However, the text excludes people in a coma or with conditions such as advanced Alzheimer's, who cannot confirm their consent at the time of euthanasia, unlike regulations in other European countries where the practice is already legal.