France’s Macron backs legislation allowing ‘assistance in dying’

Draft legislation paving the way for assisted suicide for terminally ill patients would be placed before the French National Assembly in May, French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview published Monday.

Adults capable of making decisions with a life-threatening illness over the medium term and whose pain cannot be alleviated would be allowed to request euthanasia, according to the interview published in the Libération and La Croix dailies.

They will then receive a response to their request following a delay of at most two weeks, Mr Macron said.

“Strictly speaking, it does not create either a new right or a new freedom but sets out a path that did not exist before, opening up the possibility of requesting assistance in dying under certain strict conditions,” Mr Macron said.

Where possible, the patients would be required to administer the fatal doses to themselves.

The issue was controversial in France.

Administering fatal medication to another person is currently illegal, but passive assisted dying, by, for example, switching off life-support equipment or administering strong painkillers that accelerate death as a side-effect, is permissible.

Mr Macron announced moves towards legislation on assisted suicide in the autumn.

A lengthy consultation process was then initiated. A majority came out in favour of allowing assisted suicide.

France’s Ethics Council (CCNE) ruled that actively assisted dying was conceivable under certain strict conditions.

The decision on whether a patient should receive assisted suicide is to be taken by consultation, according to the Élysée Palace, with at least two doctors deciding together.

Health professionals are to be permitted to refuse to provide assisted suicide services but must then refer patients to other health professionals.