The National Assembly backed the bill, but the law supported by President Macron may not be passed before 2027. Evangelicals among those who warn against the “removal of basic protections” for human dignity.
.jpg "The National Assembly France, in Paris. / Photo: [link]Facebook Assamblee Nationale[/link].")
The National Assembly France, in Paris. / Photo: [link]Facebook Assamblee Nationale[/link].
On 27 May, the Assemblée nationale (lower house of the French parliament) approved the first version of a law that will allow assisted dying in the country.
The initiative, which has been debated in France for years, received 305 votes in favour and 199 against.
At the same time, a bill on palliative care was also passed by the National Assembly.
The bill is one of the major initiatives promoted by President Emmanuel Macron in his bioethics programme, will now go to the Senate (the upper house, with more conservative representatives) for amendment.
As drafted in May 2025, the law would allow people with incurable illnesses to request lethal medication to end their lives.
The social debate is important in France, where polls suggest that a majority currently support access to assisted suicide. The political debate began in 2022 and is expected to last until 2027, when assisted suicide will become legal.
French evangelical Christians have expressed their opposition to a law they believe would cause an “uncontrollable domino effect” on the most vulnerable.
“We are saddened by the MPs vote in favour of the bill on end-of-life care”, said on Tuesday the French National Council of Evangelicals (CNEF).
“God created us all with equal and unalterable value, regardless of our abilities, age or health. We therefore regret this law that allows death to be administered”, the entity representing 70% of evangelical churches says.
For its part, the Evangelical Protestant Committee for Human Dignity recalled that the European Convention on Human Rights, which France has signed, states in its Article 2 that “everyone’s right to life shall be protected by law. No one shall be deprived of his life intentionally”.
Thierry Le Gall, a political expert, explained to Evangelical Focus what the next steps for the law could be.
“It is likely that the Senate, which will examine the text voted on by the National Assembly, will attempt to reform this law by incorporating the ethical and legal safeguards that were omitted in the first reading”.
So far, “the debates I have attended in part from the galleries of the National Assembly reveal sometimes radically opposed worldviews”, said Le Gall. “If the two houses of Parliament fail to reach an agreement at the end of the legislative process, the President of the Republic could call a national referendum”.
Christian organisations in France have mostly expressed their opposition to legalising assisted death. They cite the vulnerability of elderly and destitute people and the lack of quality medical care among the reasons for their opposition.
“The deterioration of health services, particularly emergency medical services, fuels a collective anxiety about the risk of losing dignity and suffering at the end of life”, said Le Gall.
At this point, similar laws are being discussed in England and Wales, and Scotland.
Versions of assisted dying (including euthanasia) are legal in The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal, Austria, and Luxembourg.
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