French assisted suicide Bill advances to Senate

French MPs have approved a Bill to legalise assisted suicide in the country.

The legislation, which was voted through on 27 May in the National Assembly, the French Parliament's lower house, must now go before the Senate.

The vote was seen by "right-to-die campaigners as a pivotal moment", reportsThe Times, which notes that the Bill avoids using the terms euthanasia and assisted suicide.

The measure was approved by 305 MPs, notably from the Left Party and from President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist coalition. It was opposed by 199 MPs, more than half of whom are with the populist National Rally.