RN does not intend to repeal assisted dying law if it comes to power

Paris – July 16, 2026: National Rally (Rassemblement National, RN) has stated that it would not repeal the law on the right to assisted dying, which was finally passed by parliament, even if it came to power. Laurent Jacobelli, an MP from the Moselle region and party spokesperson, said this on Thursday. At the same time, he announced that his party would closely monitor the law’s practical implementation and watch for possible abuses.

Jacobelli acknowledged that he feels a conflict of conscience over the reform. According to him, the RN would have preferred a referendum on this particularly sensitive social policy issue. The party is therefore shifting its emphasis. It no longer sees the legal provisions that have now been adopted as something that should in principle be reversed, but maintains a critical assessment of their prerequisites and safeguards.

On Wednesday, July 15, the National Assembly passed the bill in its final reading with 291 votes in favor, 241 against, and 29 abstentions. This was preceded by a lengthy conflict between the two chambers. The Senate rejected the bill several times, and after the mediation procedure failed, the National Assembly gained the final say. The government plans to ask the Constitutional Council to rule on certain issues.

The law grants adults suffering from serious and incurable illnesses legal access to assisted dying for the first time. The conditions include, in particular, that the illness must be at an advanced or terminal stage, that there must be a free and fully informed decision, and that there must be suffering that cannot be alleviated by treatment or that the person concerned finds unbearable. Depending on physical ability, self-administration or administration by medical staff is provided for.

The procedure includes several safeguards. The attending physician examines the requirements and may request additional medical assessments. There is a legally prescribed period between the decision and its implementation, and the person concerned may withdraw the application at any time. On the day of implementation, medical staff must reconfirm that the decision remains in place and that no external pressure has been exerted.

Jacobelli’s position illustrates differences within the French right. While a significant number of RN members and other right-wing groups in parliament voted against the bill, the discussion following its passage is increasingly focused on its implementation. For the RN, opposition to the bill is linked to demands for expanded palliative care and institutional oversight to protect particularly vulnerable patients.

The reform therefore remains politically controversial even after the parliamentary process has been concluded. The monitoring now announced by the RN is aimed less at immediate amendments than at the question of whether legal standards are interpreted strictly in medical practice and whether patients’ right to self-determination is effectively protected. Future parliamentary majorities could in principle amend the law later.