Assistance in dying: Lecornu wants to involve the Constitutional Council after parliamentary vote

Paris – 15 July 2026: Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu wants to refer the Conseil constitutionnel, the French Constitutional Council, after the planned final vote in the National Assembly on the bill concerning assisted dying. According to sources close to President Emmanuel Macron, the decision was coordinated between Matignon and the Elysee Palace. The government presents the move as the completion of a long parliamentary and democratic process.

The National Assembly was scheduled for final consideration on Wednesday, 15 July. At the time of the announcement, there was no officially confirmed final result. After several rejections in the Senate, the National Assembly may have the final say in this legislative procedure. The Senate last rejected the text on 7 July; this made the final reading at the Palais Bourbon possible.

The government justifies the preventive review by citing the particular ethical and legal issues involved in the reform. Matignon refers in particular to human dignity and to the conditions under which a person concerned must make a free and informed decision. The review is also intended to clarify whether the rules for medical staff and for carrying out the procedure meet constitutional requirements.

The text provides, under certain conditions, for access to a lethal substance. The person concerned must generally take it themselves; if they are physically unable to do so, it may be administered by a doctor or nurse. According to the current version, a waiting period of at least two days is provided between the medical decision and the patient’s confirmation of their wish. This period in particular is among the disputed points.

The proposal has a long institutional history. It follows Macron’s 2022 election pledge, the 2023 citizens’ convention on end-of-life issues, and an initial government draft from 2024. However, after the dissolution of the National Assembly in June 2024, the procedure had to be restarted. The current final phase follows several readings and a failed mediation attempt between the two chambers.

A referral to the Constitutional Council before promulgation is possible under Article 61 of the Constitution. It may be requested, among others, by the President, the Prime Minister, the presidents of both parliamentary chambers, or sixty deputies or senators respectively. The Council generally decides within one month; the referral suspends the time limit for promulgation. Senate President Gerard Larcher and senators from the right-wing majority had also announced their own legal steps.

Politically, Lecornu’s move is therefore less a departure from the core project of Macron’s second term than an attempt to secure its entry into force legally. A constitutional procedure may confirm, criticize, or remove individual provisions from the law. Only after its conclusion can the President promulgate the text. Practical implementation would then depend on implementing regulations and the organization of healthcare.