The deputies approved, this Saturday, May 17, the creation of a “right to help die”, and restored the principle that patients will have to self -administer the lethal substance, except when they cannot do it, when examining the invoice of Olivier Falorni.
The article that creates this right was adopted by 75 votes, against 41. A vote above all the relative text “to the right to help die” is scheduled for May 27. The hemicle returns to the version adopted in commission in mid -April, which granted the person who wishes to use the freedom to choose between the self -admination of the Lotal product and the administration by a doctor or a nurse.
The deputies adopted an amendment to the government on Saturday, specifying that it will only be possible when the patient “is not physically capable of proceeding”, returning to the initial version.
“The government’s position is (that) the principle is self -administer, the exception is support,” said Hemicycle Catherine Vautrin.
For several deputies, it was “a point of rupture of the balance of the text”, in the words of the attached horizons and the former Minister of Health, Agnès Firmin Le Bodo, who begged the need to “listen to caregivers for the construction of this text.”
The interrogation of the “free choice”
On the contrary, the author and relative of the text Olivier Falorni expressed his “disagreement” with the interrogation of the “free choice”, remembering that it was a “crucial point” for the citizen agreement that the President of the Republic had established on the subject.
What “I fear, explains Olivier Falorni, is that” sick who would have said ‘yes doctor, I want it, I persist, maintain, I want to help die’ “Finally” he cannot do it for “several reasons”, such as “anxiety” or “stress.”
For Catherine Vautrin, self -administration translates into action until the last moment, the “will” to die of the patient. But perhaps “that in fact the case of the patient who said yes, me self -administer, but that, when drinking the product, for example, or injecting it is not capable, it may require support,” he said.
“If we leave the doctor’s appreciation to determine what is the physical inability to do so,” some might judge that stress is one and others, no, this is not acceptable, “worried about deputy PS Stéphane Delautrette.
Five criteria chosen
An amendment has been rejected to allow a “closure” to administer the lethal product. As another who wants to open the possibility of helping to die taking into account the early guidelines. At night, the hemicycle began to discuss another key article, to define the eligibility criteria to help die.
Five cumulative criteria are provided in the commission text: be at least 18 years old; French or resident in France; that suffers from a “serious and incurable affection, whatever the cause, which involves the vital prognosis, in the advanced or terminal phase”; The latter that caused “physical or psychological suffering” refractory to treatments or unbearable; Being able to express your will in a free and enlightened way.
Shortly before midnight, an amendment was rejected that wishes to open access to help die from 16 years, with the consent of the parents, carried by the rebel deputy Hadrien Clouet.
“Law” against “Freedom”
Early in the day, the deputies discussed the definition of aid and semantics, certain opponents tried, without success, replace it with the notions of “assisted suicide” and “euthanasia.”
Others wanted to question the concept of “right” to help die, considering going too far with “a right” and preferring it to the simple “freedom” that offers a possibility. The law experienced the same setbacks when I wanted to specify the notion of “active” aid to die.
“It helps to die, it already exists. And all doctors, all nurses help die. We help die without provoking death,” said Philippe Juvin (Republicans).
“Manage a lethal substance, what can be an aid? Death will always be administered,” annoyed Christophe Bentz (National Rally).
Going beyond political splits, the aid bill should continue to be fiercely discussed in the hemicycle on Monday at 9 am, some 1,774 amendments must still be studied.
Source: BFM TV
