by wishing to split the text in two, François Bayrou alienates the defenders of the initial bill

This is a new, or rather yet another, twist in the journey of this text, eagerly awaited by associations and parliamentarians. The Prime Minister proposes to separate palliative care from assistance in dying.

Difficult to follow. Let's reshoot the film, in accelerated version. In 2017, Emmanuel Macron said he wanted “choose” that's clean “end of life” and leads the way as soon as he comes to power. But over time, years, the president procrastinates, hesitates, then decides to launch the citizens' convention on the end of life. From December 2022 to April 2023, 184 French people chosen at random will work on the subject, before deciding in favor of euthanasia and assisted suicide, under conditions.

It took the head of state a year to get hold of it. He then announced a bill and promised debates before the summer of 2024. The machine got underway, the text was, in fact, debated in the National Assembly, before being stopped dead by the dissolution. Many months later, Michel Barnier undertakes to offer a slot at the Palais Bourbon at the beginning of February 2025, to resume the debates. But the censorship of his government fell on December 4. The one who takes over from him, François Bayrou, suggests returning to one of the ideas of a few years ago, to go through not one, but two texts, one on palliative care, the other on assistance to die.

This step back does not please at all those who defend and support this text, starting with the President of the National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, who made it known at a group meeting of Macronist deputies on Tuesday. The same for Olivier Falorni, of the MoDem, of his political family, the “mister at the end of his life” of the Assembly – whom François Bayrou did not take the care to consult. This deputy brought together everything that remained of the debates before the dissolution in a text signed by more than 230 parliamentarians, and fears with this proposal that the second piece on the end of life will be pushed back to the “Greek calends”.

For some, the Prime Minister is giving in to opponents of end of life. The mayor of Pau – a practicing Catholic – has never been for it. A position which aligns with that of the RN and part of the LR. We do not know if there have been discussions on both sides, but someone close to Marine Le Pen already welcomes progress.