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Too often, the debate on the end of life, euthanasia, assisted suicide… only appears in the media in the light of dramatic individual stories. For a serene debate, we questioned the candidates for the presidential election on this social issue.
As for the fight against addictions, the debates around the end of life allow us to update real political divisions among the 10 candidates who were kind enough to answer our questionnaire. Candidates on the left generally plead for a new law allowing recourse to assisted suicide, while on the right we stick to the application of existing laws.
End of life: left-wing candidates want to advance the law
Jean Luc Melenchon estimate that “Being able to choose one’s own death responds to a concern for dignity and a personal philosophical choice. As long as the device is framed to guarantee a conscious, reiterated and unconstrained judgment, it is the last of the freedoms that a human being can exercise. It is thus applied in Switzerland. The various “Leonetti laws” on the end of life since 2005 have not put people at the center of the decision, being satisfied with undernutrition and dehydration devices, i.e. euthanasia which does not say its name.“. The candidate of France Insoumise thus proposes to establish in law the right to assisted death and to make advance directives opposable to the medical profession.
Yannick Jadot is also “in favor of advancing the law on these issues, because as it stands it condemns them to wait for the last days or the last hours of their agony to be delivered, or to go abroad to die far from their families“. He intends to privilege “an end-of-life approach centered on the needs of the person and those around them, based on a partnership of care that promotes fluidity of pathways and support adapted to each situation. This is why we will strengthen palliative care at home and in hospital, and create palliative care homes which, for the people concerned and their families, will above all be homes of life.“.
Anne Hidalgo is also in favor of a change in the law “so that everyone can have the choice of how they end their life. In the first months of the five-year term, we will propose to Parliament a new law based on three principles: absolute respect for the patient’s wishes thanks to the effective implementation of advance directives; support with humanity in the last moments by guaranteeing truly universal access to human palliative care, of quality, throughout the territory, and which fully integrates families alongside medical teams; the right to access active assistance in dying for those who have made this choice in full conscience and in full freedom“.
Philippe Poutou declares to be “awith the ADMD, the association for the right to die with dignity, so that every Frenchman and every Frenchman can choose the conditions for their own end of life. And for a significant increase in training and budgets for palliative care“.
Nathalie Arthaud declare “I am of course, but who would not be, for the right to die with dignity and for there to be universal access to palliative care. I am in favor of the law allowing assisted suicide, that is to say euthanasia for people in an advanced or terminal phase, provided that it includes the maximum safeguards for such a serious choice, because we know that family choices and social relations in general can be disturbed by anything other than the interest of the patient“.
Right-wing candidates want more ways to enforce existing laws
Marine Le Pen is not in favor of a new law on the end of life and euthanasia. She feels that it is appropriateto apply above all the Claeys-Leonetti law of 2016 which provides for deep sedation that can lead to death but without active euthanasia“and for this, it wants to strengthen access to palliative care throughout the territory, whether in hospital or at home (with full coverage of home help for people at the end of life and, as I I have already pointed out, the development of support for carers). According to her, “Such a bill involves the risk of drift and extensive interpretation, difficulties in defining the moment when the patient has reached the end of his life. It is necessary to take into account the inconstancy of the decisions and the risk of extending the measure to minors. I am therefore not in favor of a new law“.
Valerie Pécresse also believes that “The Claeys-Leonetti Law responds to a strong aspiration of the French. Unfortunately, only 30% of the people concerned have access to it. My priority will therefore be to enforce the law and develop the culture of palliative care in all territories, giving people at the end of life all the dignity to which they are entitled.“. She foresees that “investments will be necessary to develop palliative care structures throughout France, in hospitals and at home, but also to better train professionals“.
Nicolas Dupont Aignan calls for strengthening the means of the hospital and palliative care so that the current laws can be applied: “The current legislative framework offers sufficient guarantees in this regard. But it is true that the insufficiency of the medical means implemented does not allow to apply the law, in particular with regard to the capacities of reception of the palliative care. (…) For my part, I defend the following program: neither to be relentless against death, nor to take away life: we must work to apply the Léonetti laws of 2005 and Claeys-Léonetti of 2016“.
Jean Lassalle in favor of a referendum, Emmanuel Macron for a “Citizens’ Convention”
John Lassalle is favorable to the evolution of the law but considers that the French must be consulted by way of referendum on such an important subject: “Jean Lassalle supported the bill brought by MP Olivier Falorni, aimed at affirming the free choice of end of life. The French should be able to fully express their position on such important issues through a referendum. This is why, as Chairman, he will favor this method of voting, to give all its importance to the RIC. It is essential to develop and support palliative care, finance the places of this care, train the staff“.
Emmanuel Macron is conversely close to right-wing candidates judging that “The Claeys Léonetti law has found a balance that we must salute. We must continue to publicize the mechanisms it offers, in particular advance directives, so that every French person can have access to a dignified death. This subject, which is intimate, must be discussed calmly because these are always difficult human situations, both for the people concerned, the families and also the health professionals. Regularly questioned, the French respond overwhelmingly that they wish for themselves and their loved ones a dignified death without suffering“. However, he plans to launch “a Citizens’ Convention in which citizens, professionals and stakeholders in care and ethics will debate the improvements to be made in order to draft a bill acceptable to all“.
The candidates of the PCF Fabien Roussel and of Reconquête Eric Zemmour did not answer our questionnaire, that is why their proposals do not appear in our article. You can find all the answers to our questionnaire on the health issues of the different candidates: Emmanuel Macron, Marine Le Pen, Jean-Luc Melenchon, Valerie Pécresse, Yannick Jadot, Anne Hidalgo, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, Philippe Poutou, John Lassalle and Nathalie Arthaud.