2024-04-23 08:34:15
Catherine Vautrin, Minister of Labor, Health and Solidarity, during an interview at the ministry in Paris, Thursday April 4, 2024. KAMIL ZIHNIOGLU FOR “LE MONDE”
Already a first debate. Salle Lamartine, Monday April 22, Catherine Vautrin, Minister of Health, Labor and Solidarity, presented the bill relating to support for the sick and the end of life before the special commission set up at the National Assembly. The deputies gave an overview of their future divisions. Until April 30, this commission, such as those organized on the occasion of certain major pieces of legislation, will conduct hearings, then examine amendments before the debate in the Hemicycle, from May 27. “Our common objective must be the search for a balance between opening up assistance in dying and strict conditions of access”affirmed Ms. Vautrin in front of some fifty of the 71 deputies of the special committee.
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“I am the guarantor of a balance” of the text, also declared, on the sidelines of the session, Olivier Falorni, deputy (MoDem and Independents) of Charente-Maritime and general rapporteur of the text. “I am also a guarantor of balance”, added, in an aside, Agnès Firmin-Le Bodo, who chairs the special commission. Former Minister Delegate for Health Professions, Ms. Firmin-Le Bodo regained her seat as Member of Parliament (Horizons) for Seine-Maritime, after she “more than largely contributed” in the development of the bill, in the government, underlined Ms. Vautrin.
“A text can always be improved by Parliament. But, on a personal level, I stick to the five eligibility criteria for assisted dying which are my red lines”, breath, at Mondeand Firmin and Bodo. “Free and enlightened will” of the patient who requests access to assisted dying is a non-negotiable condition in his eyes.
Vital prognosis committed
However, it is the criterion of patient discernment that several deputies contested on Monday. The bill provides that the patient, who has a positive response to a request for “assisted death”, will have to reiterate his wishes just before being authorized to ingest the lethal substance or having it injected into him if he is not physically capable of performing the gesture. But what about a person who met the criteria for assistance in dying, but lost their cognitive faculties at the time of the lethal act?
“A trusted person could reiterate his wishes in his place”, suggested Cécile Rilhac, MP (Renaissance) for Val-d’Oise. “It could be possible in this case to rely on the advance directives written by the patient”, suggested Gilles Le Gendre, deputy (Renaissance) of Paris. Same position defended by Marie-Noëlle Battistel, socialist deputy for Isère. “If the sick person no longer has their discernment when repeating their request”, the assisted dying procedure is interrupted, replied Ms. Vautrin. Without any possible recourse. Another point focused the debates: the obligation to have a vital prognosis undertaken in the medium term for access to assisted dying.
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