End of life: Article strengthening palliative care training after mention of "assisted dying" rejected

On Wednesday, May 14, MPs voted to reject an article aimed at strengthening palliative care training after adding the term "assisted dying" to the title of a diploma.

The article under discussion aims to enshrine in law the government's commitment made in 2024 to create a specialist diploma in palliative medicine and supportive care, in particular to promote this sector.

An amendment proposed by Macron MP Christophe Marion to change the name of the diploma by adding the word "assisted dying" was adopted, causing a stir in the chamber.

Opponents of assisted dying have accused the elected officials who initiated its adoption of "mixing everything up" and forcing them to vote against the article as a whole.

The bill was rejected by 80 votes to 73. The right and far right were largely opposed, while the left was. The central bloc MPs were divided.

"Today we are legislating on palliative care, not on assisted dying. This is why the initial text was split into two parts," recalled RN MP Angélique Ranc at the start of the review of the article.

"Would it make sense to include a reference to assisted dying in this text?" she asked, referring to the possibility that the second law on assisted dying would not be adopted.

Failure to provide training in assisted dying "would leave caregivers helpless" if the second bill were adopted, retorted the rebellious MP Élise Leboucher.

And "addressing assisted dying during their training will not oblige trained caregivers to practice it," she added, specifying that she was not "calling into question the conscience clause."

Furthermore, this training allows them to become "aware of the conscience clause," the MP emphasized.

After committing in 2022 to entrusting a citizens' convention with a review of the issue, President Emmanuel Macron unveiled the outlines of a draft law in March 2024. However, its review could not be completed, interrupted by the dissolution of the government.

Under intense pressure from MPs, Prime Minister François Bayrou has gone back to the drawing board, splitting the bill in two, so as to give MPs the freedom to vote for one text but not the other.