French assisted dying bill clears Assembly review, rejecting conscience clause; vote June 30, final adoption July 15
After a marathon third reading, French MPs are set to vote on a bill legalizing assisted dying on June 30, with final adoption expected July 15. The text excludes a conscience clause for private religious institutions, triggering 4,000-strong protests and warnings that Christian care homes may close.
Legislative marathon
The bill, a flagship promise of President Emmanuel Macron’s second term, creates a right to “assisted dying” for patients with serious and incurable illnesses under strict conditions. Over 1,800 amendments were tabled during the third reading, which ran from June 22 to the evening of June 27, but only 23 were adopted. Rapporteur général Philippe Vigier (MoDem) and his co-rapporteurs worked to preserve the balances struck in the previous reading, aiming for the broadest possible majority.
Conscience clause rejected
One of the most contentious points was a proposed conscience clause that would have allowed private healthcare institutions to refuse to administer lethal doses. Deputies voted to exclude it, leaving no legal opt-out for faith-based hospitals and care homes. Bishop Matthieu Rougé of Nanterre called the decision “ideological relentlessness” and warned that Christian healthcare establishments might be forced to close or leave France. “We cannot give death,” other Catholic care providers said in a statement quoted by Le Figaro.
Christian healthcare establishments could be forced to close or leave France.
Street protest
On Sunday June 28, some 4,000 people gathered at Place de Fontenoy in Paris in what organizers called “a final cry” against the legalization of euthanasia. The rally came just two days before the scheduled Assembly vote, reflecting deep societal divisions over end-of-life choices.
- Third reading begins in the National Assembly
- Third reading concludes after examining over 1,800 amendments
- 4,000 protesters rally at Place de Fontenoy in Paris
- National Assembly votes on the bill
- Final solemn vote expected if Senate rejects the bill again
Political landscape
Right-wing and far-right parties, including Les Républicains and Rassemblement National, remain firmly opposed. Their MPs argued that eligibility criteria are too vague, procedural safeguards too weak, and timelines too short. “I emerge from these debates with a kind of vertigo,” LR deputy Thibault Bazin said, complaining about insufficient protections for vulnerable adults. The left and center largely support the text, which deliberately avoids the terms “suicide assisté” and “euthanasie” – a linguistic choice that critics say masks the reality of what is being authorized.
Next steps
After the June 30 vote, the bill will return to the Senate, which is expected to reject it for a third time. That would trigger a definitive reading in the National Assembly on July 15, where no further amendments may be introduced and deputies will have the final say. The government hopes to adopt the law before the summer recess.
