Although no official referral has yet reached it, the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) kicked off the citizens’ convention on the end of life wanted by Emmanuel Macron, Thursday, September 29. The assembly of the Palais d’Iéna brought together, for the first time, a “governance committee” (“co-gouv”), responsible for the methodology of this agreement.
It’s about having “a collective reflection on a sensitive subject which will make it possible to consider, if necessary, the clarifications and changes to our legal framework by the end of 2023”said the Elysée, on September 13. “To this end, a citizens’ convention will be set up next October, the conclusions of which will be delivered in March 2023.explained the press release. It will be organized by the ESEC, which is now its vocation. »
The order thus emanates from the President of the Republic. But the organic law of January 2021 provides that the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, must officially seize the ESEC, with a specific question to organize the debate. Even if the delivery of the mail will take a few days, the time to pass between the Elysée, Matignon and the ministers concerned…
“There are no wolves!” », we assure the cabinet of Agnès Firmin Le Bodo, the minister delegate in charge of territorial organization and the health professions, responsible for the animation of the political debate on the end of life. “If the question asked must be clear for the citizens’ convention, it must also be intelligible for all French people. This explains why its writing takes a little time. »
“As neutral as possible”
The National Consultative Ethics Committee (CCNE), which issued an opinion on the end of life on September 13, and the CESE are also associated with its drafting. “Without anticipating, advances Thierry Beaudet, the president of the ESEC, one could imagine the contours of a question that would question the existing legal framework [la loi Claeys-Leonetti de 2016] to find out if it is suitable, and, if not, consider the necessary changes. The objective is to be as neutral as possible in the formulation. »
The drafting of the question posed to the convention is not the only subject on which the government is groping. The executive is pushing the fires under the citizens’ convention while letting its ministers go to the front on the subject. The government thus risks instilling doubt on its displayed neutrality, in a debate with the French presented as as open as possible.
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