In the first reading, the French Parliament approved the draft law on the legalization of assisted death (euthanasia). About this informs The Guardian.
305 deputies of the lower house voted for the corresponding document, while 199 voted against it. Deputies also unanimously supported another law that guarantees the right to palliative care in specialized institutions for people who are at the last stage of life.
The French government described the new law as “an ethical response to the need to support people who are suffering and incurable diseases”. The draft law provides for the possibility for medical workers to make decisions on providing patients with access to a “lethal substance” in the presence of a corresponding expression of will. According to the document, the patient will be able to inject the drug independently or with the help of medical personnel.
To obtain a permit, a person must meet several conditions: be over 18 years old, have French citizenship or a residence permit, and suffer from a serious, incurable, progressive or fatal illness. In addition, the condition must be accompanied by persistent, intolerable physical or psychological suffering that cannot be relieved by treatment. The patient must have the ability to consciously express will and make decisions.
The draft law received support mostly among centrists, their political partners and representatives of the left forces, while the majority of the right and extreme right opposed it. In the future, the bills must be considered in the Senate, after which they will return to the lower house for a second reading. It is expected that the final adoption of the laws before the end of the year is unlikely.
Currently, only passive euthanasia is allowed in France, which consists in refusing artificial life support or deep sedation before death.
