Tense debates on the end of life: the left denounces the "indignity" of opponents in the Assembly

Debates on end-of-life began Monday in the National Assembly. Members of parliament are expected to examine more than 3,000 amendments before the vote, scheduled for May 27.

The elected officials began with the articles of the bill devoted to palliative care, which are the most widely supported. The deputies will delve into the details of the right to die in the coming days, which promises to heighten tensions.

From the podium, the President of the National Assembly, followed by Health Minister Catherine Vautrin, called for a calming of the debate. "All beliefs deserve to be heard and respected. Despite our differences, we can seek a common path," the government member sought to temper.

Consensus between the two camps appears distant. Olivier Falorni, the bill's leading advocate, spoke from the podium to defend a pain-free end to life. "There is nothing more beautiful than life, but sometimes there is worse than death. What does it mean to live when living is nothing but suffering?" the centrist MP argued.

Opponents of the bill, particularly those on the right wing of the chamber, quickly rose to the occasion. "Who can guarantee that the lethal solution, which costs only a hundred euros, will not one day become a cost-effective solution to the cost of treatment for serious illnesses, which itself costs several thousand euros?" argued MP Hanane Mansouri, a close associate of Eric Ciotti.

The left accuses opponents of the text of blocking the debate. Rebellious elected representative Hadrien Clouet deplored the submission of "1,100 purely obstructive amendments." Addressing opponents, he expressed his "indignity when I read that you want to rename the text 'execution, homicide, or assassination,' to cite your amendments."

To stay on track and complete the debates before the vote, scheduled for May 27, MPs could sit on weekends. The government's bill, which was under review last year, was abruptly interrupted by the dissolution of the National Assembly.

According to an Ifop poll conducted last year, 92% of French people support euthanasia when a patient suffering from an unbearable and incurable illness requests it. 89% of French people approve of authorizing assisted suicide.