15/07/2026 19:06 - Internacionales
The National Assembly of France has reached a milestone this Wednesday, July 15, 2026 by giving definitive approval to the law on the right to aid in dying. The regulation, which includes the framework for both euthanasia and assisted suicide, was passed by a narrow margin: 291 votes in favor, 241 against, and 29 abstentions.
With this decision, the country becomes the sixth in the world to legalize euthanasia, joining a list that already includes the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, and Portugal. This milestone comes after a long and turbulent parliamentary journey that began in 2024 and faced multiple amendments in the conservative-majority Senate.
"In 2022, I made a commitment to open this path alongside the French people. With seriousness, humility, and full respect for our democracy, that commitment is fulfilled today."
To exercise this new right, patients must meet very strict criteria, designed to protect the most vulnerable while offering a way out of unbearable suffering. The main requirements are:
The patient must request the aid from a doctor. The process is formalized in writing and subject to a collegiate evaluation. The doctor must provide a reasoned response within a period of 15 days. If approved, the patient must confirm their decision after a minimum reflection period of 2 days.
Despite the advancement in civil rights, the law has generated deep moral and religious tensions within the country. From the Catholic sector, the Bishop of Bayonne, Marc Aillet, warned Catholic parliamentarians who voted in favor of the law that they "will not be able to take communion", arguing that they place themselves in "opposition to a constant teaching of the Church".
The prelate also defended the conscientious objection of healthcare personnel and supported the resistance of Catholic hospital institutions to apply the regulation, reminding that a fraternal society should respond to suffering by developing palliative care. Aillet posed incisive questions about whether society is willing to force institutions founded on respect for life to act against their principles.
Opponents of the law fear that "thousands of patients" could end up being eligible to access aid in dying. The main criticisms center on the fact that the two-day reflection period might be insufficient, and that the law forces all healthcare centers to allow the practice, without exceptions for religious institutions.
During the debate, Deputy Christophe Bentz asked: "Why rush death? Why take life prematurely?", arguing that society has no right to stop protecting the most vulnerable people.
It is the action performed by a healthcare professional who administers a lethal substance at the patient's request, in order to cause their death and thus relieve their suffering.
The doctor or healthcare staff provides the necessary means (such as drugs) for the patient to self-administer them and end their life voluntarily.
Sources: El País and InfoCatólica
Alfredo S. Quiroga
