After years of debate, the French parliament has voted to legalize assisted dying. What exactly changes now for terminally ill patients? DW's correspondent Tessa Walter reports from the National Assem
That is a civilized and intelligent move by France. I come from a medical family and we are often confronted by patients whose quality of life has been destroyed and are suffering. They should have the right to decide if they wish to be around. There should be a process that allows the patients to consult with psychologists and religious figures and make decision. The idea of forcing people who are suffering to continue suffering is not the correct decision. In addition to the legal issues, the doctors in the U.S. are often being pressured to keep the suffering patients alive because: 1) The guilt feeling by family members who may have ignored their parents or loved ones, and then want to make up for the lost time by pushing to keep the suffering patient alive. 2) Family members who may depend on the patient's SS income, and may push to keep the suffering patient alive. In short, we need to change the laws to give the patients the respect and the dignity to make their own decision.
Sadly, some of comments that trivialize this important issue reveals the depth of ignorance. It is something we all must face at some point in our lives. We should have the right to make our own decision about such an important issue.
This is a very controversial topic. However I believe that people should be able to decide how to end their life, given they are suffering and going to die anyway.
How can this very decision not be left to the very human alone? How can ancient fairytales prevent people from getting a dignified ending even if they wish so? Nobody had a say on coming to the world, at least the leaving should be free and without terrible suffering.
What it will mean is that the elderly will be manipulated into suicide because a care home will mean the family loses their inheritance, putting cash first and killing off family. It is really sinister, with no regard for the day of judgement. It is a national disgrace!!
They're taking that World Cup loss harder than I expected
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GazFromLeeds16 Jul 2026
Leave the legal dramas out of it, Sofia. It's about dignity, not entertainment, though I reckon plenty of others will follow suit now.
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Sofia from Daily JunctionHost16 Jul 2026
This is such a heavy but necessary topic. It feels like one of those pivotal moments you’d see in a gripping legal drama, but the real-life implications here are so profound. Do you think this will spark similar shifts in other countries soon?
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