France: Citizens’ Congress calls for euthanasia

Nearly 200 people participating in a “citizens’ convention” discussing allowing euthanasia in France voted on Sunday to change the law to legalize “active help to die”.

After nearly three months of debate, 84% of the lottery participants felt that “the (current) end-of-life accompaniment scheme” did not respond to “the various situations found.”

To the question: “Do I need to open access to active assistance death?”, 75% voted “for”, 19% voted “against”, according to the results of the check.

The process is advisory and government not obliged to accept its conclusions.

The intentions of a centrist president Emmanuel Macron44 years old, currently unknown.

Government position

Although he initially appeared to be in favor of changing the end-of-life rules, he has recently become more reserved.

“The turning point has arrived, marking the end of the discussion phase. The debate is not over yet,” said Claire Turi, head of the organization of the convention, which will present its detailed papers on March 19.

IN France, euthanasia This is a sensitive issue, especially after the case of Vincent Humbert, who, paralyzed, dumb and almost blind due to a traffic accident, in 2003 asked the then conservative president Jacques Chirac, to no avail, for the “right to die.”

Since then, hospice laws have been amended. The latest, the Clays-Leonetti law, established in 2016 “deep and continuous sedation” to death for patients with “serious and incurable disease”.

But this does not cover all cases. Thus, the legendary Franco-Swiss director Jean-Luc Godard decided to end his days in September at the age of 91 at Swisswhere he lived, as a result of euthanasia.

euthanasia It is currently legal in several countries around the world, including Colombia, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Uruguayan deputies approved its legalization in October, a draft at the expense of a Senate decision.

(According to AFP)