Helping to Die: Patients Will Not Be Deemed to Have Died of Natural Death

On Friday, Members adopted by a short majority the deletion of the controversial paragraph, despite the rapporteur's unfavorable opinion.

For the Minister of Health, one possibility would be to add "two boxes" to the list of apparent circumstances of death, one for deep and continuous sedation and one for aid in dying. The text must be considered in the Senate.

The National Assembly, in Paris, on 21 May 2025. THIBAUD MORITZ / AFP On Friday, 23 May, MPs deleted a provision in the text on the right to aid in dying, according to which patients who resorted to it would then be "deemed to have died of natural death" on their death certificates. Amendments to delete the paragraph in question were approved by a short majority, with an unfavourable opinion of the rapporteur (Socialist Party, PS, Upper Vienna) …

Amendments to delete the paragraph in question were approved by a short majority on Friday, with an unfavourable opinion of the rapporteur Stéphane Delautrette (PS) and a wisdom opinion of the government.

In the Assembly, Members withdrew the reference to "natural death" for patients who used help to die, denouncing a formula deemed misleading, even ideological