French Senate Rejects Key Assisted Dying Law Article Amid Deep Divisions

On January 21, 2026, the French Senate dealt a significant blow to the proposed assisted dying legislation by rejecting its central article concerning euthanasia and assisted suicide for terminally ill patients. The vote went 144 against 123, reflecting deep political divisions and a complex debate over end-of-life rights in France.

This pivotal Article 4 aimed to establish clear conditions for legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide but failed to secure Senate approval despite earlier passage of Article 1, which recognized "medical assistance to die" in the Public Health Code. Opposition came predominantly from right-leaning senators, including several from the Les Républicains (LR) party and centrists, who viewed the reform as a societal rupture. Additionally, some left-wing senators, particularly socialists, opposed the article because they felt it deviated from a more balanced framework previously adopted by the National Assembly in May 2025.

Philippe Mouiller, president of the Senate's social affairs committee, lamented that this rejection stripped the proposal of its core meaning but affirmed that discussions would continue. Socialist senator Patrick Kanner condemned the Senate’s stance as self-ridiculing on a matter of great public importance. Centrist senator Loïc Hervé also highlighted that it was unrealistic to expect senators firmly against euthanasia to back the article.

Health Minister Stéphanie Rist expressed support for the version passed by the National Assembly deputies and urged dialogue to restore the text. Despite calls from some parliamentarians to withdraw the bill from the agenda due to the vote’s outcome, Rist maintained that halting the process would only disrupt parliamentary proceedings.

A final vote on the entire assisted dying law is scheduled for January 28, 2026, led by MP Olivier Falorni; however, observers question its significance. The legislative focus is expected to return to the National Assembly, where a clearer majority supports the proposal. President Emmanuel Macron has hinted at the possibility of a public referendum if parliamentary deadlock persists.

This Senate vote highlights the ongoing difficulty in reconciling deeply entrenched views on assisted dying in France, signaling a challenging road ahead for the proposed law and underscoring the contentious nature of end-of-life debates in the French political landscape.