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PoliticsFrench PM Lecornu to refer assisted dying bill to Constitutional Council after Assembly 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, 2026. The Senate had rejected the text three times, but the government decided to give the final say to the National Assembly. The referral will examine whether the bill respects constitutional principles, particularly human dignity and personal freedom. Key concerns include the two-day reflection period for patients to confirm their request for a lethal substance, the ability of protected adults to give free and informed consent, and the articulation between the conscience clause for medical professionals and health establishments 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 at the National Assembly in Paris on July 7, 2026. JULIEN MUGUET FOR "LE MONDE"
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will refer the bill creating a "right to assisted dying" to the Constitutional Council after the National Assembly adopts it, which is expected on Wednesday, July 15, his office announced.
Statement from Matignon
"In-depth 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 Tuesday.
"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.
Key Areas of Constitutional Review
The referral will focus on three main areas:
- Withdrawal 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 the principles of personal freedom and human dignity, specifically 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 provisions on 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.
Background
The law would authorize assisted suicide, or even euthanasia, for the first time in France, subject to a series of conditions.
The Senate rejected the text three times, in agreement with several right-wing heavyweights such as Bruno Retailleau. 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), has 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