French government presents bill to let terminally ill patients end their lives

France's government has presented a controversial bill on assisted dying that would allow terminally ill patients to take lethal medication, as public demands grow for legal options for aid in dying.

French people seeking to end their lives are travelling to neighbouring countries, such as Belgium or Switzerland, where medically assisted suicide is legal.

In early March, President Emmanuel Macron announced that a “French-style” bill was in the pipeline, with strict conditions for accessing aid in dying, though he refrained from using the terms assisted suicide or euthanasia.

Sketching out the contours of the future law on Wednesday, health Minister Catherine Vautrin said it provided for the introduction of “aid in dying” under certain conditions for patients at the end of their lives who are affected by “physical or psychological suffering” as a result of their illness.

Strict conditions

To benefit from the newly proposed measure, patients would need to be over 18 and be French citizens or live in France, and the prognosis would have to be terminal in the short to medium term, Vautrin said following a Cabinet meeting.

A team of medical professionals would need to confirm that the patient has a grave and incurable illness, is suffering from intolerable and untreatable pain, and is seeking lethal medication of their own free will.

The latter condition will effectively exclude patients suffering from psychiatric conditions or neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.

(with newswires)

Read more on RFI English

Read also:
Macron's euthanasia bill prompts anger from health workers, church
France prioritises bill to boost end-of-life care following citizens’ report
‘My life, my death’: French woman battles for right to die with dignity