France to legalise assisted dying
After years of debate, France's National Assembly has voted to pass a law that will permit assisted dying for the terminally ill. Under the strict conditions that each case is assessed by an interdisciplinary panel that includes a medical professional. Since the Senate has already rejected the bill several times, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu plans to refer it to the Constitutional Council.
Glossing over reality
The facts about what the legislation means are being concealed, criticises Gauthier Vaillant, editor-in-chief of L'Opinion:
“The truth has been distorted at every stage of this debate. Terms such as 'euthanasia' and 'assisted suicide' have been avoided, the bill's proponents have tirelessly sought to gloss over the reality: helping someone die is being legalised in France. ... Under 'extremely strict' conditions, as they constantly claim? On the contrary, the French model turns out to be one of the most lenient: vague criteria regarding life expectancy; a 'collective decision' that is a sham, having been scrutinised by just one doctor; a two-day reflection period. ... And where is the freedom of choice when access to palliative care is not even guaranteed for half of the eligible patients?”
Reactionary mood stronger than ever
Libération applauds the decision:
“At last! … It has been a long and complicated journey, but this social progress, which was decided with the backing of the French people, is of course to be welcomed. ... But there is a caveat: for years, with every advance society has made, the conservative parties have generally remained entrenched in their opposition. The current mood is more reactionary than ever before. … The French presidential election is due to take place next April and May. This leaves little time for the law to take effect and have an impact. That's a pity.”
Paris still capable of reforms
The taz's France correspondent, Rudolf Balmer, welcomes the move:
“All those families who had desperately hoped that their suffering loved ones would be given medical assistance to end their lives, which had become so unbearable, can now breathe a sigh of relief. The same goes for all the doctors and carers who felt powerless in this situation. ... As with the legalisation of abortion, the conservative and reactionary opponents of assisted dying will not give up. ... The practical implementation will be a new battle. ... At least it is encouraging to see that France is still capable of reform on sociopolitical issues. That has been anything but a given in recent years.”
Controversial changes without escalation
Democracy is still intact in France, emphasises Paul Ackermann, France correspondent for Le Temps:
“The personal and emotional aspects of the issue have been respected. Free voting was fully preserved across all parliamentary groups. Everyone was able to vote according to their conscience. Despite a public debate that bordered on a culture war, French democracy has succeeded in bringing about a change that many citizens had been waiting for. … The popular uprising many had feared has failed to materialise, and the debate did not escalate. The French people are ready, and their parliamentarians have understood this. This shows that this democracy still functions even in the midst of a crisis. A dignified stance that should also be applied to other issues.”
Willingness to debate
At least France is not just sticking its head in the sand, writes La Stampa approvingly:
.“For three years now, French MPs have grappled with and debated one of the most fundamental issues of our time. ... Their debates were of course picked up by the newspapers, television and social media, and in turn kindled public debate in which citizens were encouraged to freely express their opinions. It may not be possible to reach a full consensus and the law may have to be further adapted in the future. But this is precisely how a country grows: by embarking on a process of seeking a solution and asking itself fundamental questions”