France Set to Vote on New 'Right to Aid to Die' as Parliament Prepares Final Ballot

Overview

• The Assemblée nationale is due to hold a decisive vote this Wednesday, July 15, that is widely expected to adopt a law creating a conditional right to assisted death.
• The final text establishes five cumulative eligibility criteria, makes patient self‑administration the norm with clinician administration only for total incapacity, and grants a clause of conscience for health professionals.
• Macron accelerated the timetable to complete the reform before the parliamentary break and the move exposed divisions inside his majority and reservations from several ministers and deputies.
• Gérard Larcher, president of the Senate, has pledged to refer the law to the Conseil constitutionnel if deputies approve it, and the court would have one month to rule on any constitutional issues.
• Practical details remain unresolved: a DGS meeting with unions is scheduled for July 23, the Haute Autorité de Santé will recommend substances by early November, and experts warn foreign experience shows safeguards can loosen and palliative care resources may be shifted away.