This Tuesday, MPs will begin examining two major bills on end-of-life issues in the Social Affairs Committee. One, on palliative care, has achieved consensus. The other, on assisted dying, deeply divides the national representation and civil society.
A law under high tension
Defined as a strictly regulated right, assisted suicide could be open to adults suffering from a serious and incurable illness, experiencing suffering deemed unbearable, and capable of discernment. However, several amendments already envisage broadening access: some MPs are proposing to include minors or patients who have lost their discernment, which is causing serious concern.
In an op-ed published Monday by Le Figaro, a group of experts, healthcare professionals, and former health ministers warn of the risk of an "anthropological rupture," fearing a shift toward near-total legalization of assisted suicide. The debate, which is eminently ethical, could last several weeks.
