France's referendum tool dormant since 2008 amid dying law debate
France's 2008 citizen referendum mechanism remains unused after 18 years, despite recent attempts to deploy it on assisted dying.
Event / Politics
France Assisted Dying Law
French Constitutional Council rejects referendum proposal opposing government legislation on right to assisted dying, ruling ethical end-of-life questions fall outside constitutional referendum scope. The assisted dying law remains on track for mid-July adoption.
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2026-08-16 to 2026-11-13 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 17 Jun, 10:34 UTC
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What happened
French Constitutional Council rejects referendum proposal on right to die
The French Constitutional Council rejected a shared initiative referendum (RIP) proposal submitted by right-wing and far-right parliamentarians led by senator Francis Szpiner, which sought to block government legislation establishing a right to assisted dying. The proposal had support from approximately 200 parliamentarians.
Constitutional Court rules ethical end-of-life questions outside referendum scope
The Constitutional Council determined that ethical questions relating to end-of-life care fall outside the scope of Article 11 of the French Constitution, which governs shared initiative referendums. The Court stated that referendums may address reforms in economic, social, or environmental policy and related public services, but explicitly exclude societal questions as established by constitutional preparatory work in 1995.
French government advancing assisted dying legislation expected for adoption mid-July
Legislation establishing a regulated right to assisted dying for certain patients with grave and incurable conditions is in the process of being adopted by the French government, with adoption expected in mid-July. The law would allow eligible patients to receive or self-administer a lethal substance under a controlled procedure.
Shared initiative referendum mechanism remains unused since 2008 constitutional amendment
The shared initiative referendum procedure, inscribed in the French Constitution since 2008, has never successfully resulted in a referendum. The process requires successive approval from one-fifth of parliamentarians, passage through Constitutional Council review, and support from 10 percent of the electorate (approximately five million voters) before citizens can vote.
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2 alternative perspectives
Constitutional court rejects referendum bid on assisted dying
Constitutional court blocks assisted-dying referendum; parliament proceeds with legislation.