As France’s lawmakers push their Catholic prime minister to put the voting on the “end of life” bill back to the agenda, François Bayrou proposed to split the controversial bill into two separate issues: palliative care and “active assistance in dying.”
Observers see it as a smart move to kill the “end of life” bill and strengthen actual palliative care without antagonising rival political sides, clashing in France for months now.
The “end of life” bill voting was halted when President Emmanuel Macron dissolved Parliament in June 2024.
The bill, introduced by Macron, includes provisions for medical aid in dying alongside strengthening palliative care.
Bayrou, known for his devout Catholic views, emphasised that palliative care is a societal duty, while the controversial debate over euthanasia is a deeply personal and moral issue.
His decision to split the bill is seen as a bid to move forward with palliative care, a less contentious measure.
While supporters of medical aid in dying argue that both issues are interconnected, the prime minister’s proposal was backed by the Catholic Church and some lawmakers who disagree with the stance that palliative care should include euthanasia.
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