WORLD WORLDWIDE EUROPE FRANCE - news journal UPDATE - (en) France, UCL Press Release: New End-of-Life Law: A Danger in an Ableist and Capitalist Society (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr) [machine translation]

 On May 12, debates on the "bill on the right to assisted dying" began in

the National Assembly, relaunching a legislative process suspended since
last year's parliamentary dissolution. This bill--long awaited by the
institutional left and by Macron, in his quest for a progressive
veneer--has been criticized by all anti-ableist organizations for its
ableist nature and potential eugenicist tendencies. It will be put to a
vote on May 27 in the Assembly, but no one seems to be concerned.

This bill, intended to extend the Claeys-Leonetti laws, betrays their
spirit. These laws allow patients experiencing treatment-resistant pain
and whose life is in jeopardy in the short term to resort to deep and
continuous sedation until death. They also regulate decision-making
options when the person concerned is no longer able to express their
wishes, through advance directives and the designation of a trusted
person. The proponents of the new bill suggest that people at the end of
their lives are currently condemned to suffer while awaiting death,
denying the existence of these existing mechanisms.

A Liberal Shift

This law is touted as an inevitable step forward, an advance in
individual autonomy: "My body, my choice." But in an unequal society,
this autonomy and freedom of choice are illusory and overlook the
material living conditions of the people who would resort to this
"choice." A segment of public opinion has long opposed the legalization
of euthanasia in the name of moral, conservative, and religious
principles, in defense of a sanctified vision of life. Anti-disability
movements have also seized upon the criticism of the consequences of
this legalization, but based on an analysis of our materialist and
anti-capitalist society. The Jusqu'au bout solidaires collective states
in its manifesto, "How can we justify allowing vulnerable people to die
when they do not receive the necessary assistance to live with dignity?
Euthanasia is not a response to suffering, but an admission of our
society's failure to protect the most disadvantaged."

Wherever "assisted dying" has been legalized, the eligibility criteria
have rapidly expanded: people with disabilities, psychiatric patients,
the elderly, children in Belgium, etc. In Canada, there is discussion of
recognizing poverty as a reason for accessing euthanasia. This law sends
a clear message to vulnerable people: their lives are "too expensive"
and "too burdensome" for society to bear. What "freedom" is there in
accepting euthanasia when public services are dismantled, laws are
poorly understood and poorly enforced, suffering is sometimes poorly
alleviated due to a lack of access to appropriate care, and when
caregivers are exhausted and lacking training in palliative care?

This supposedly free choice clashes with the reality of social
inequalities and impacts oppressed social groups differently. Social
groups overrepresented in suicidal behavior statistics (women, trans
people) will also be the most likely to resort to euthanasia, without
addressing the underlying determinants (isolation, violence,
discrimination, etc.). Thus, in a society that educates women to
sacrifice themselves for the benefit of others, the injunction not to
take up too much space may find its ultimate embodiment in a request for
euthanasia so as not to burden others too much.

Capitalism in Crisis and the Fascization of Society

In this bill, "assisted dying"--a euphemistic term--will be able to be
administered in nursing homes, medical-social centers, psychiatric
units, and even prisons. We know the rates of mistreatment in healthcare
facilities, which must operate with ever-decreasing resources. Rather
than strengthening the resources of healthcare facilities and building
access to a dignified life, euthanasia could then be the way out of
confinement and social isolation. The crisis of capitalism, aggravated
by policies of austerity, privatization, and militarization, could turn
"assisted dying" into a social management tool for capitalists, who see
it as a way to reduce costs and eliminate human "burdens."

Our compass is our materialist analysis of social relations; let's not
fool ourselves behind idealistic and supposedly progressive slogans: In
an increasingly unequal society, the priority is not to legislate to
hasten the end of life, but to fight for dignified living conditions for
all, particularly through access to quality care and support that
alleviates suffering. For an inclusive and egalitarian society. There
can be no "dignified death" without first enabling a dignified life.

Libertarian Communist Union, May 13, 2025

https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Nouvelle-loi-sur-la-fin-de-vie-un-danger-dans-une-societe-validiste-et
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