End of life: date of the bill, conditions, budget… Emmanuel Macron's declarations for “assisted dying”

Emmanuel Macron présentera un projet de loi en avril. MAXPPP – CHRISTOPHE ENA/POOL

Le président de la République a annoncé ce 10 mars 2024 qu'il présenterait en avril un projet de loi pour une "aide à mourir". On fait le point sur ses déclarations. 

The head of state has been waiting on the issue for several years. This Sunday, in an interview given to La Croix and to Libération, the head of the State announced that it would present a bill in April 2024 on "assisted dying".

Also read: CASE. Assisted suicide, euthanasia, sedation: society facing the end-of-life dilemma

Impending bill

From April, Emmanuel Macron will present a bill on the end of life to the Council of Ministers. The text will then be examined in Parliament from May, specify our colleagues. 

He nevertheless wanted to clarify that this would be neither a right nor a freedom, preferring the notion of' ;nbsp;"possibility". 

What conditions ?

The executive plans to propose a text which will allow "to request assistance in dying under certain strict conditions". Among these prerequisites: being of legal age, "capable of full and complete discernment" and&nbsp ;affected by an "incurable illness".

Other sine qua non conditions cited by the President, the fact that the vita prognosisl of the person wishing to use this assistance is "committed in the short or medium term" and that they face a suffering "that cannot be relieved". 

What process ?

For people meeting these criteria – subject to the bill being adopted – a medical team will decide "collectively and transparently, what action it will take gives this request". 

A lethal substance will then be prescribed to the person concerned, they can administer it themselves or request it ;#39;3rd party assistance.

What budget ?

In parallel with this end-of-life law, the government wants to support palliative care units. In over the next 10 years, an additional billion euros will be invested. Palliative care units will be installed in the 21 departments that do not have them. 

The Head of State estimates that "thousands of people and families are waiting" for developments of the law on the end of life and the care of patients going through unbearable suffering.