Euthanasia will also be legal in the French Basque Country after the French parliament has recognised the right to assisted death

Euthanasia will be legal in the French Basque Country after the French Parliament on Wednesday finally passed a bill guaranteeing adults with incurable illnesses the right to assisted death , so the debate on the measure presented by President Emmanuel Macron in April 2024, which has divided the population, has reached its final stop.

The new text, adoptedin the National Assembly by a final vote of 291 votes in favour and 241 against, allows patients to take medication that will put an end to their lives; when they are physically unable to do so, a doctor or nurse will take care of it.

Among the strict criteria set out in the regulation are: to be of age, to have French nationality or to live permanently and legally in the country; to suffer from a serious and incurable illness that endangers life; to be at a terminal or advanced stage; and to sufferphysical suffering that cannot be alleviated by any treatment or palliative care.

Similarly, the patient must express his desire to end his life "with full knowledge" and "freely" and "informed", so the rule excludes people in a coma or with dementia.

The Act also establishes a specific protocol for the entire process, which requires the applicant to be provided with alternatives, such as palliative care and reminding him that the process can be suspended at any time, and that the doctor in charge of the application can consult with other professionals within 15 days.

The legislation also provides for the conscientious objection of health professionals, but a doctor who refuses to follow the process must refer the patient to another who is prepared to do so.

Until now, the Claeys-Leonetti Actpassed in 2016 allowed deep and continuous sedation for people with terminal illness and short life expectancy. The bill had previously been passed three times by the National Assembly, but has been rejected by the Conservative majority Senate.

Thus, he has joined the list of countries that allow assisted suicide or euthanasia under certain conditions, such as France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland, or Canada and Uruguay. Macron pushed for the reform by launching a citizen convention that welcomed the introduction of "help to die."

However, theConstitutional Council  will be examined at the request of Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, appointed by Macron, who has doubts as to the points contained in the text, where it will be decided whether certain clauses contained in the rule, such as the minimum period of reflection of two days after the patient's consent to assisted death, are compatible with "the principles of individual freedom and dignity".