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French lawmakers have revived one of the country’s most polarising debates on assisted suicide.

MPs began examining two bills on Monday, focusing on boosting palliative care and legalising assisted dying for adults over 18 years old with incurable, advanced, or terminal illnesses.

This would allow patients to receive or administer a lethal substance either themselves or with medical assistance.

The proposed legislation, which would allow access to lethal substances under strict conditions, has sparked fierce debate across political lines.

However, the legislation stipulates that only patients capable of freely and clearly expressing their informed wish to end their life would be eligible.

This means patients with Alzheimer’s or who are in an irreversible coma cannot be considered eligible for the act.

In addition to the requirement that the patient’s request be made freely and in an informed manner, the legislation outlines that the patient must be suffering from physical or psychological pain that cannot be alleviated by treatment.

Deep political divisions

Backed by French President Macron’s supporters and much of the left, the bill faces strong opposition from conservative lawmakers and the far-right, who argue that resources should instead be directed toward improving palliative care.

Centrist MP Olivier Falorni has passionately argued for the right to die: “There is nothing more beautiful than life, but sometimes there is something worse than death. Yes, there is something even worse than death when life has become nothing but inexorable agony,” said Falorni in parliament on Monday night.

Philippe Juvin, a conservative MP and practising anesthesiologist, expressed deep concern about the potential dangers of legalising the act of assisted dying.

“No country has gone this far, both in scope, the expeditious nature, the weakness of control, and the pressure that this will put on the most vulnerable. What caregivers and patients need is time to care for, relieve, and support,” Juvin said.

Palliative care crisis

As the debate unfolded inside the National Assembly, hundreds of protesters gathered a few streets away.

Wearing blue medical scrubs and lying on the ground to represent an “open-air hospital,” the protesters, led by the pro-life Alliance Vita association, demanded greater investment in palliative care rather than the legalisation of euthanasia.

Posters and placards were scattered across the scene with messages such as “We want palliative care,” “No to euthanasia,” and “Support the most vulnerable.”

One of the key arguments against the bill is France’s significant shortcomings in providing quality palliative care.

According to estimates from the Cour des Comptes (France’s supreme audit institution), nearly half of those who could benefit from palliative care did not receive it. This represents approximately 180,000 patients annually.

This issue is particularly alarming in home care settings and retirement homes, where healthcare professionals are often ill-equipped to manage end-of-life care.

Tugdual Derville, president of the pro-life Alliance Vita organisation, has been outspoken in his opposition to the bill, stressing that the healthcare system must be reformed before assisted suicide is even considered.

“We need to repair the healthcare system, we need to make care accessible to the French, particularly pain relief and palliative care, and we need to maintain the protection afforded by the prohibition on killing between caregivers and the cared for,” Derville said at a protest staged outside the National Assembly.

Many opponents of the bill argue that the lack of proper palliative care is the root cause of many patients’ suffering and their desire to end their lives.

Séverine, a protester and vocal opponent of the bill, believed this is exactly what happened to her aunt.

“My aunt was suffering psychologically… She couldn’t live alone, so she was sent to a nursing home. There was no one there. The general practitioner would come once every 2 months… There was no one to ease her psychological suffering. So she tried to commit suicide. She wanted to die because there was no solution to her suffering,” explained Séverine in an interview with Euronews.

The final vote on the two bills is scheduled for 27 May. In a rare instance, political parties have decided not to impose voting lines due to the personal nature of the proposal. This means MPs will vote based on their own convictions.