“Mr. President, your opinion on palliative care and active assistance in dying cannot be the only compass”

2023-12-09 11:00:08

Mr. President of the Republic, a year ago, on your initiative, the work of the citizens’ convention on the end of life (CCFV) began. In April 2023, when we submit our reportwelcomed by a large number of observers, you have made a double commitment on the subject of palliative care and active assistance in dying for our country: a bill, accompanied by a ten-year plan, would be presented to the Council of ministers before the end of the summer.

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This promise was renewed in July during a meeting of our five representatives with the two ministers in charge of the file, Agnès Firmin Le Bodo and Olivier Véran, who specified the content of the bill in three parts: personal rights, the development of palliative care and the opening of active assistance in dying.

To date, these commitments have still not been fulfilled. Furthermore, the media coverage and political statements this fall suggest that the bill would move towards a “French end-of-life model” very far from the recommendations of our report.

Respect the promise made to citizens

After the experience of the citizens’ convention on the climate, whose proposals were largely rejected, it would be appropriate for the executive to respect its promise to citizens this time. We are very worried about the future of our own recommendations, and the sustainability of the citizen conventions tool. Speeches on the involvement of citizens in the public life of our country must be followed by effects.

The regular mobilization of citizens in participatory democracy processes cannot remain sterile, at the risk of exploiting democratic innovations for political purposes and further undermining the bond of trust with the population. We fear that the failure to take into account citizen voice will fuel the current democratic crisis.

Members of the CCFV gathered in the separate association Les 184, reflecting the diversity of views expressed during the convention, we relay the impatience and anxiety of patients and their loved ones. Many people in our country are still waiting for quality palliative care, with enhanced resources allowing dignified and appropriate end-of-life support.

Strong support from the population

For a certain number of them, this also means a guaranteed right to active assistance in dying. According to our recommendations, if it were to occur, it would require medical and social support over its entire duration and supervised by a public service. These demands have also received strong support from the population, in a transpartisan manner, for many years.

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