“Manifeste des 109”: L’Obs personalities ask for changes to the law on the end of life

” We believe that the French law, which prohibits active assistance in dying, is unjust “. It is with this sentence that it is summed up ” The manifesto of 109 “, published Thursday 16 March on the cover of L’Obs. A nod, 50 years later, to the ” manifesto of 343 » who asked, in 1971, for the legalization of abortion in the columns of the same newspaper.

But who are the 109? Annie Ernaux, Clementine Autain, Françoise Hardy, Sandrine Bonnaire, Nathalie Baye… Personalities from all walks of life who unite around a petition to ask for the reform of the French law on the end of life. This forum comes as, in just two weeks, the Citizens’ Convention on the End of Life presents its conclusions to the government.

The current law is not adapted to the reality of patients

Currently, the law Claeys-Leonetti, adopted in 2016, regulates the end of life of the terminally ill. Bans euthanasia and assisted suicide, but allows a ” deep sedation and continues until death in some specific cases.

Every year, French men and women suffering from serious and incurable diseases are confronted with physical and mental suffering that treatments can no longer alleviate. They ask their doctor to help them die and meet a refusal, condemned to suffer a long and painful end of life, in contradiction with their free and considered will.

“The 109 manifesto”, L’Obs, 16 March 2023

Faced with the inflexibility of this law, in contradiction with the wishes of patients, some therefore go abroad, helped by relatives when they can, to countries where assisted suicide and euthanasia are legal. The personalities who signed the manifesto recount this arduous journey towards a dignified end of life:

We are their spouses, their children, their brothers, their sisters, their families, their friends. We are the ones who have looked for the right doctor, who have taken trains and crossed borders, and who have decided to do everything possible so that everyone can end their life as he has decided.

“The 109 manifesto”, L’Obs, 16 March 2023

Conclusions expected for 2 April

Wanted by the government, the citizens’ conference for the end of life brings together 184 citizens drawn by lot, who must, by 2 April, deliver to the government a summary of their thoughts on the question posed by the Prime Minister : “Is the end of life support framework adapted to the different situations encountered or should changes be introduced? ».

This weekend of March 17, 18 and 19 they begin their 8ᵉ and penultimate work session, nourished, perhaps, by this “ Manifesto of 109 “.

In February, during a vote in the EESC, were 84% who estimated that the “ end of life support framework » the current is not suitable. 75% of them said they were in favor of changing the law to open access to ” active assistance in dying “. However, the modalities of this end of life have remained under discussion, as the harmonization phase has begun in order to be able to propose a summary document, as close as possible to everyone’s points of view.

If the conclusions of the convention are to serve as the main light to fuel the debates of parliamentarians, Elisabeth Borne reminded us that citizens are not called to legislate. Understand: The government reserves the right not to take this into account. And it wouldn’t be the first time people have been ignored.