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PoliticsFrench PM Lecornu to refer assisted dying bill to Constitutional Council after final vote
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French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced he will refer the bill creating a 'right to assisted dying' to the Constitutional Council after the National Assembly adopts it, expected on July 15. The Senate rejected the text three times, but the government gave the final say to the National Assembly. The referral will examine whether the two-day reflection period for patients respects constitutional principles of personal freedom and human dignity. It will also review provisions on protected adults' ability to give free consent, the role of legal guardians, and the articulation between conscience clauses for medical staff and end-of-life care facilities that exclude assisted dying. The law would authorize assisted suicide or euthanasia for the first time in France under strict conditions. Senate President Gérard Larcher also committed to referring the matter to the Constitutional Council.
Source report
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will refer the bill creating a "right to assisted dying" to the Constitutional Council after the National Assembly adopts the legislation, expected on Wednesday, July 15, his office announced.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu at the National Assembly in Paris on July 7, 2026. JULIEN MUGUET FOR "LE MONDE"
Reason for Referral
"Extensive debates took place in the National Assembly on this proposal; nevertheless, the debate in the Senate did not allow for as thorough an examination to produce a legislative text that meets both the aspirations of its supporters and the concerns of those worried about its implementation," Matignon wrote in a statement released on Tuesday.
Scope of Review
The referral will focus on three key areas:
- Reflection period: Whether the length of the withdrawal period provided for in Article 6 of the bill respects the principles of personal freedom and human dignity. According to the text, the patient will have a "reflection period of at least two days" to "confirm to the doctor that they request the administration of the lethal substance," once the doctor has rendered their decision. Opponents consider this period too short.
- Protected adults: Whether provisions relating to the situation of protected adults respect principles of personal freedom and human dignity, regarding their ability to express free and informed consent, and the role of persons legally responsible for protecting them within the procedure.
- Conscience clause: The articulation between the conscience clause—which doctors and nurses can invoke to refuse to perform assisted dying—and the existence of health or medico-social establishment projects whose purpose is to accompany patients at the end of life but which exclude recourse to assisted dying.
Statement from Matignon
"This referral should provide all necessary clarifications on these issues, so that the application of the law, if passed, can be carried out in full respect of the principles guaranteed by our Constitution, and in particular, human dignity," the statement reads.
Background
The law provides for authorizing assisted suicide, or even euthanasia, for the first time in France, subject to a series of conditions.
In agreement with several right-wing heavyweights, such as Bruno Retailleau, the Senate rejected the text three times. The government ultimately decided to give the final say to the National Assembly, as the Constitution allows. The President of the Senate, Gérard Larcher (Les Républicains), also committed to referring the matter to the Constitutional Council.
Le Monde with AFP
Source
Politique : Toute l’actualité sur Le Monde.fr.Western
Part of this Story
French National Assembly Advances Assisted Dying Bill Toward Final Adoption