The French National Assembly approved the legalization of euthanasia.

The French Parliament has taken a disastrous step toward legalizing medical aid in dying, by approving on first reading a bill that would allow health professionals to assist terminally ill patients in ending their lives under strict conditions. The measure was approved by 305 votes in favor and 199 against, after a parliamentary debate filled with emotion. The law, which still must pass through the Senate and a second vote in the National Assembly, will probably not take effect before 2026. Alongside this legislation, a less controversial law was unanimously approved that guarantees access to palliative care in specialized institutions, a recurring demand from medical and social sectors. The proposal sets strict criteria: only people over 18 years old, with citizenship or residency in France, who suffer from a serious, incurable, advanced, or terminal illness that causes constant, unbearable, and irreversible physical or psychological suffering, and that can't be relieved by medical treatment, will be able to access this aid. In addition, the patient must be able to freely and knowingly express their wish to die.

The procedure would allow the patient to take the lethal substance themselves or, if they are physically incapacitated, authorize its administration by a doctor or nurse. This intervention would only be possible after an evaluation by a medical team. The government has described the measure as an "ethical response" to accompany suffering patients, assuring that it is not a new right but a balance between respect and personal autonomy. However, the issue remains highly sensitive in France, a country with a strong Catholic tradition. Many health professionals have expressed their opposition and some politicians, such as Prime Minister François Bayrou, a practicing Catholic, have abstained or expressed doubts.

Members of Emmanuel Macron's social democratic party and its allies, as well as those on the left, mostly voted in favor. In contrast, the majority of right-wing legislators opposed, arguing that euthanasia can't be debated without first guaranteeing real and universal access to palliative care. Stéphane Delautrette, socialist deputy, defended the measure as part of the "great social achievements," comparing it to the legalization of abortion or the abolition of the death penalty. In contrast, Patrick Hetzel, from the conservative party Les Républicains, warned that it is dangerous to move forward without having fully implemented access to palliative care. Currently, France allows passive euthanasia, such as suspending life support treatments and deep sedation before death, but doesn't offer active options for patients who wish to die. As a result, many people have decided to travel to countries such as Belgium or Switzerland, with costs that can exceed 10,000 euros, according to activists.

The progressive association ADMD (Association for the Right to Die with Dignity) celebrated the vote, although it described the law as "modest" due to its limited scope. "It's a foot in the door, important for what comes next," said its representative Stéphane Gemmani. In the European context, France has moved more slowly than other countries. Active euthanasia and assisted suicide have been legal in the Netherlands and Belgium since 2002, even for minors under strict conditions. Luxembourg legalized both practices in 2009 and Spain in 2021. Austria adopted the law in 2022, while Portugal decriminalized it in 2023, although it has not yet been implemented due to constitutional rulings.

Switzerland has allowed assisted suicide since the 1940s, although not active euthanasia. Organizations such as Exit or Dignitas have helped thousands of people, including foreigners, to die under legal conditions. In the United Kingdom, Parliament is also debating a similar proposal, already approved on first reading, that would allow assisted suicide for adults with incurable illnesses and less than six months of life expectancy. With this legislative progress, France is on track to join the group of European countries that allow, under regulated conditions, medical aid in dying, marking a deep change in the way the end of life is addressed.