France Senate blocks right‑to‑die legislation, sending it to joint committee

On 12 May 2026 the French Senate rejected in a second reading the proposal to create a right to assisted dying, voting 151 against 118. The bill, which had already passed the National Assembly, now heads to a mixed joint committee (CMP) for possible conciliation between the two chambers.

The proposal, part of President Emmanuel Macron’s end‑of‑life reform, began three years ago after a citizen convention and was stalled by the 2024 parliamentary dissolution. In 2025 Prime Minister François Bayrou split the reform into two parts: a consensual measure strengthening palliative care, which was adopted, and a more contentious measure allowing assisted suicide and euthanasia. The Senate has rejected the latter twice, prompting calls from some senators for a referendum and from the government to convene the CMP before the summer recess. President Macron and Assembly President Yaël Braun‑Pivet have expressed support for final passage, while Senate leader Bruno Retailleau warns against a “forceful” imposition.