France’s National Assembly voted 305-199 on Tuesday to pass a bill legalizing assisted suicide and euthanasia, a move pro-life advocates warn could erode the sanctity of human life and pressure vulnerable individuals into premature death.

The legislation, which allows adults with incurable illnesses to take lethal medication under certain conditions, marks a significant shift in France’s end-of-life policies and awaits Senate approval amid a contentious debate.

The bill, described by supporters as providing “aid in dying,” permits people over 18 who are French citizens or residents, suffering from a grave and incurable illness with intolerable pain, to request lethal medication. A medical team must confirm the patient’s condition and free will, with the option for self-administration or assistance from a doctor or nurse if the patient is physically unable.

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A parallel bill enhancing palliative care was unanimously adopted, with President Emmanuel Macron promising 1.1 billion euros over the next decade to improve end-of-life care.

Pro-life groups, including the Conference of Religious Leaders in France (CRCF), representing Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist communities, condemned the measure as an “anthropological rupture” that risks pressuring the elderly, disabled, or chronically ill into choosing death.

Matt Vallière, the Executive Director of the Patients’ Rights Action Fund, condemned the vote.

Today, the French National Assembly cast a fateful and terrible vote that will put a great many at risk of deadly harm and discrimination under an unprecedented euthanasia regime, if it ultimately passes. There is a lot of talk of “rights” and “suffering,” of “liberté” and “fraternité,” but what the French proponents, just as those here in the US, fail to truly grapple with: who do these laws hurt? Who could be coerced? Do you violate the rights of others by passing such a law?

As we understand the process, the bill will be examined by the French Senate in the fall. If amendments are made and an amended bill were passed by the Senate, it will return to the Assembly for a second reading and vote, which if approved would return to the Senate for ratification. If the two chambers fail to reach an agreement, the government can convene a joint committee of seven MPs and seven Senators, which will be tasked with reaching a compromise. The French President, Emmanuel Macron, has vowed to put this issue to a vote before the people in a referendum if the legislature does not pass it in some form, which many say he does not have the power to do.

Hopefully, the diverse allies in France will convince the Senate to put a stop to this heinous bill.

This law undermines the fundamental principle that all human life is sacred from conception to natural death. It opens the door to abuse, where societal or familial pressures could coerce vulnerable people into feeling their lives are no longer worth living.

The legislation’s passage follows years of debate, intensified by high-profile cases of French citizens traveling to countries like Switzerland, where assisted suicide is legal, to end their lives.

Critics argue the bill’s criteria—such as “unbearable physical or psychological suffering”—are dangerously vague, potentially expanding eligibility beyond terminal cases and allowing abuse of the system. The removal of a requirement that death be imminent, present in earlier drafts, further alarms pro-life advocates, who fear a slippery slope toward broader euthanasia practices seen in countries like Belgium and the Netherlands.

Paul Lefèvre, a Catholic physician and bioethicist pointed to studies showing that in countries with legalized euthanasia, safeguards often fail to prevent coercion or misapplication, particularly for those with mental health struggles or disabilities.

The legislation’s journey is far from over. It faces further debate in the Senate, where conservative lawmakers may push for amendments or delays. A definitive vote could take months, with the National Assembly holding final authority. Macron has suggested a referendum if parliamentary progress stalls, a prospect pro-life groups vow to oppose.

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