Some 300 deputies from all sides urge Jean Castex to continue debates on euthanasia

The stake goes beyond political colors and traditional divisions for once. Some 300 deputies from all sides, more than half of the National Assembly, asked the Prime Minister on Friday, May 7, in a letter, to put on the agenda the bill authorizing euthanasia, including the review could not be completed in April. Several ministers, Marlène Schiappa, Olivier Dussopt and Agnès Pannier-Runacher, supported the text, which they retweeted.

Despite broad support, the bill opening up a right to “A free and chosen end of life” MP Olivier Falorni (Liberties and Territories group) could not be adopted on April 8, faced with thousands of amendments tabled by some elected Republicans and a time constrained.

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“It is now important to continue this parliamentary work. The French urge that everything be done in the current period to protect the living and to humanize the agony of the dying ” in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, underline these 296 deputies, led by the president of the law committee, Yaël Braun-Pivet (La République en marche, LRM), his colleague “walker” Jean-Louis Touraine and Mr. Falorni in particular .

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“We do not think this law lends itself to an election campaign debate, as this subject elevates us all above our partisan affiliations. It seems preferable to us to organize as of now the desirable parliamentary work to advance on this important subject of society ”, add these deputies, including the candidate for the Elysee Jean-Luc Mélenchon (La France insoumise), the number one of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, and the president of the Agir group, Olivier Becht, ally of the majority.

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Rather than registering the rest of the articles of the proposed law “In a niche of this or that group, we solemnly ask the government to make parliamentary time available to the Assembly”, add these deputies to the attention of Jean Castex.

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Promise of better enforcement of the current law

“The debate deserves to take place, there is no doubt”, but it has ” need some time “ on a subject too “Sensitive”, had estimated before the Assembly the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran. However, he promised better application of the current French law, known as Claeys-Leonetti, adopted in 2016, which provides for deep and continuous sedation that can lead to death, but without active euthanasia.

“I believe that we will have to move forward on the subject of the end of life” But “Such a subject must necessarily be part of a fundamental societal debate on end-of-life support, on active assistance in dying and on the limits to be placed on it”, had also declared the boss of the LRM deputies, Christophe Castaner, of which more than half of the troops signed the letter to the head of government.

Read our report: Assisted suicide in Switzerland: “Is this what you want? Yes. I want to die ”

“Long committed to the right to the end of life with dignity, I support the call of these 297 deputies”, wrote the Minister for Citizenship, Marlène Schiappa. “Choosing with dignity your #findevie, a societal debate which must find its place in Parliament”, tweeted the Minister for Industry, Agnès Pannier-Runacher. “Signatory of many amendments and bills in this sense, I can only share this desire for debate and to succeed from 297 deputies signatories of this call”, finally wrote the Minister of Public Accounts, Olivier Dussopt.

Read our editorial: End of life: a necessary debate

The World with AFP