French Senate rejects assisted dying bill again as Republicans call for referendum

The French Senate on Tuesday rejected for a second time a bill creating a right to assisted dying, while Republicans leader Bruno Retailleau called for a national referendum on the issue.

The upper house, dominated by an alliance of right-wing and centrist senators, voted down the remaining articles of the bill after rejecting a key provision described as the “cornerstone” of the reform, French broadcaster BFMTV reported.

The proposed legislation, backed by President Emmanuel Macron’s government and initially approved by the National Assembly, sought to establish a regulated procedure allowing assisted dying for certain patients suffering from serious and incurable illnesses.

Retailleau, leader of the Republicans (LR) party and a declared presidential candidate, criticized the possibility of the government allowing the National Assembly to override the Senate’s opposition.

“This very serious anthropological question” should be decided by the French people, he told senators while calling for a referendum.

“Such a fundamental text must benefit from a minimum of consensus,” he added.

Despite the Senate’s rejection, the legislative process will continue because the government can ultimately give the final decision to the National Assembly, where supporters of the bill hold a clearer majority.

Philippe Mouiller, chairman of the Senate Social Affairs Committee, said the Senate failed to find “a guiding principle” on the reform.

Opposition lawmakers criticized the Senate majority for blocking debate on the issue.

“The Senate has missed an opportunity,” Socialist Senate leader Patrick Kanner said, arguing the upper house was once again leaving the matter to lawmakers in the lower chamber.

The government still hopes to secure final adoption of the bill before the summer parliamentary recess in July.