This Monday, May 13, deputies began examining the bill on the end of life, which plans to grant, for the first time in France, “assisted dying” for certain patients. If this reform is eagerly awaited by some people, it remains a source of concern for others, who fear the possibility of abuses. What will be the main issues of this study? Here are the key points of the debate.
For a week, the 71 members of the special committee of the National Assembly will focus on the 1,900 amendments tabled by elected officials from all political parties in order to make modifications to the government text. As Le Monde reveals, they will then start “on May 27 a parliamentary marathon which could last at least until the summer of 2025 […] depending on the number of back and forths necessary with the Senate. A long journey, which could lead to the implementation of this “assisted death”, requested by many patients concerned.
While the examination of this bill has just begun, the issues remain numerous and crucial key points will need to be addressed. The text thus suggests that certain patients “ask a doctor to be helped to commit suicide, via a lethal substance that they would administer themselves or that a third party could administer to them if they cannot do so. ”. For the most refractory deputies, this perspective seems difficult to validate, especially since it is deployed in the context of palliative care. A question that will stir up debates while other key points need to be addressed. Here are the details in the slideshow below.