France officially authorizes assisted dying after Macron promulgates law

Published Aug 19, 01:19 AM UTC

France has officially authorized assisted dying after President Emmanuel Macron promulgated the law, which was published in the Official Journal on August 19, 2026. The law, validated by the Constitutional Council with some reservations, creates a right to assisted dying for certain patients under strict conditions. Eligible patients must be adults, French or long-term residents, suffering from a serious and incurable condition in a terminal or advanced phase, experiencing unbearable physical suffering, and capable of making an informed choice. Patients may self-administer a lethal product in the presence of a healthcare professional, who may administer it if the patient cannot physically do so. The government must still publish implementing decrees before the law can be applied. France joins a small group of countries including Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada, and Uruguay that have opened this right. The law is considered a major societal reform of Macron's second term.

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