French lawmakers approve bill legalizing assisted dying for terminally ill adults

French lawmakers approved a bill on Wednesday that would create a legal right to assisted dying for adults with incurable illnesses, putting France closer to joining a small group of countries that allow some form of help at the end of life. The National Assembly passed the measure by 291 votes to 241 after a final reading in Paris, but the law still must survive constitutional review before it can take effect.

The bill sets tight conditions. It would apply only to adults who are French citizens or legal residents and who have a serious, incurable illness in an advanced or terminal phase that is life-threatening. Eligible patients would also need to be experiencing constant physical or psychological suffering tied to the illness and able to make a free and informed choice. Under the proposal, a qualifying person could receive a lethal substance and, if physically able, self-administer it; if not, a doctor or nurse could administer it.

Emmanuel Macron said the vote fulfilled the promise he made in 2022, and he has framed the issue around dignity, suffering and personal choice at the end of life. Supporters inside and outside parliament argued that the law gives patients more control over their final days while keeping legal safeguards in place. An Ifop poll cited in coverage found 84% support for the bill, a sign of broad public backing even as the issue remains deeply divisive.

Opposition came from parts of the medical profession and from religious leaders, including the Catholic Church, which warned that legalizing assisted dying could create pressure on vulnerable people. Marc Aillet was among the clearest critics, and one bishop threatened to deny communion to lawmakers who supported the measure. The debate has also exposed a familiar fault line in French politics: where to draw the line between individual autonomy and protection against abuse.

The vote capped years of parliamentary conflict. France’s National Assembly had already backed the bill in three previous readings, while the right-wing dominated Senate rejected it, forcing the government to use a constitutional mechanism that lets the lower house have the final say. The measure follows France’s 2016 Claeys-Leonetti law, which expanded palliative-care rights and advance directives but stopped short of legalizing assisted dying, building on an earlier 1999 framework for end-of-life care.

For a U.S. audience, the French model stands out because it goes further than most state laws that permit medical aid in dying. French lawmakers wrote in a fallback for patients who cannot self-administer, a provision that highlights the central ethical split in this debate: autonomy for those who want control over the timing of death, versus safeguards for patients who may feel burdened, isolated or subtly coerced. If the law clears review, France would become the 14th country worldwide and the ninth in Europe to allow some form of assisted dying.