The French Senate Commission has approved assisted suicide and euthanasia
On 7th January 2026, the Social Affairs Commission of the French Senate examined the end-of-life bill. It approved the principle of “medical assistance in dying” by assisted suicide and euthanasia and in so doing introduced a dangerous confusion between euthanasia and deep and continuous sedation until death. The amendments, aimed at reducing the scope of the text adopted by the National Assembly, cannot mask the main facts: the commission is ratifying death caused intentionally as a response to suffering and in so doing is misrepresenting the very meaning of care.
The amended text is due to be examined by all the senators on 20th January.
Diversion and confusion around the meaning of sedation
In the presentation of their motivation, the reporters explain that they are instituting “a device for medical assistance in dying as an extension to the Claeys-Leonetti law, and which is restricted to those who are truly at their end of life”, and “authorising a doctor to prescribe a lethal substance in order to avoid all suffering by the patient at the end of life and also to avoid unreasonable therapeutic obstinacy” which is the precise context “intended for the implementation of deep and continuous sedation until death“.
However, sedation, as intended by the 2016 Claeys-Leonetti law and regulated by the HAS (High Authority for Health) recommendations is intended to relieve suffering which is resistant to treatments, death being the consequence of the disease, since the patient is “a few hours or days” away from the end of life. The intention is not to kill, or cause death by a lethal act.
The act being suggested by the senators is of a very different nature: it aims to cause the death of the patient. It clearly equates to assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Main measures adopted in relation to the text approved by the National Assembly
- Deletion of the expression “right to assistance in dying”,to be replaced by the words “Medical assistance in dying restricted to those whose life expectancy is threatened in the short term.
- Modification of the qualification criteria for assisted suicide and euthanasia
- Deletion of the condition referring to nationality or residence in France
- Alignment of the qualification conditions for “medical assistance in dying” with the criteria for deep and continuous sedation
- Serious and incurable illness;
- Existence of resistant or unbearable suffering;
- Life expectancy threatened in the short term.
Resistant suffering is defined as: “any symptom whose perception is unbearable and which cannot be relieved despite repeated therapeutic treatments, without compromising the conscience of the patient”. This definition is that used by the SFAP (French Society for Accompaniment and Palliative Care).
- Deletion of any notion of duration of the procedure inasmuch as the reporters consider that it is not necessary in the context of life expectancy threatened in the short term.
- Addition of an obligation for the doctor consulted to have already been involved in the treatment of the patient or to have already dealt with the patient.
- Obligation to provide information on deep and continuous sedation during the consultation for the request for assistance in dying.
- Mandatory presence of a police officer and the health professional during administration of the lethal substance, and until the death of the patient.
- Extension of the conscience clause: inclusion of all health professionals, including pharmacists, within the coverage of the conscience clause. All professionals liable to participate in the collegial procedure working in establishments or medico-social departments would benefit from the conscience clause even if they are not health professionals.
- Exclusion of any associative commitment to euthanasia by members of the supervisory commission in order to avoid conflicts of interest and clarifying the fact that pro-euthanasia militants cannot be members.
- Deletion of the obstruction offence and prohibition of publicity for “medical assistance in dying”.
Vigilance: Now is the moment for questioning the senators !
Overall, the resulting text is dangerous, stigmatising for the most fragile and is in contradiction with care. Alliance VITA is calling on the senators to oppose this “medical assistance in dying” by assisted suicide and euthanasia and to resolutely take a commitment for the development of palliative care.
The French public need better care, not euthanasia : https://www.alliancevita.org/besoin-de-soin-pas-deuthanasie/
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