Le Point

 source: Le Point fr

Published on 04/06/2021 

transaltion: GoogleTranslate/doxa-louise

Michel Houellebecq's plea against euthanasia

In a text published by "Le Figaro", the writer explains why he opposes the legalization of euthanasia, to be debated this Thursday in the National Assembly.

Two days to go until an historic debate in the National Assembly , Michel Houellebecq takes the floor. If interventions of this type are rare for him, the writer takes the pen in the columns of Le Figaro to oppose a measure now at the center of public debate: the right to assisted suicide.

"Ultimate freedom" against the risk of "unfortunate developments": the creation of a right to euthanasia for those suffering from an incurable pathology was the subject of close discussions at the end of March in committee at the National Assembly, before a debate in the hemicycle on April 8. A bill instituting a "right to a free and chosen end of life" by MP Olivier Falorni (Liberties and Territories group) has divided practically all  political groups, which have chosen to let their elected representatives  express themselves in a free vote. More than 3,000 amendments were subsequently tabled in the Social Affairs Committee on this proposal, which is likely to prevent its adoption Thursday by the National Assembly.

"The supporters of euthanasia are playing with words whose meaning they distort"

Michel Houellebecq is clearly one of the opponents of this bill. “No one wants to die,” he explains in an opinion piece published by Le Figaro . "Nobody wants to suffer" either. But above all, "we can eliminate physical suffering", which, according to the writer, ends the debate. On this point, Michel Houellebecq argues: "Beginning of the XIX th  century: discovery of morphine; a large number of related molecules have appeared since then. End of XIX th  century: rediscovery of hypnosis; remains little used in France . "

The supposed ignorance of these subjects by the general public (solidly behind the right to euthanasia, according to the latest studies) provokes - in his view - a caricatural polarization of the debate, which is reduced to the question "Would you prefer that we help you die or spend the rest of your life in terrible pain? Suffering can be overcome, therefore, according to him, by morphine and hypnosis, in particular. Emphasizing the recurring use of the terms "compassion" and "dignity" by the defenders of the project, Houellebecq writes: "The partisans of euthanasia are playing with words whose meaning they distort to such an extent that they should not. even any longer, have the right to pronounce them. "

A country that legalizes euthanasia "loses, in my eyes, any right to respect"

Ditto for the argument that France is lagging behind on the issue over other countries. "The explanatory memorandum for the bill which will soon be tabled in favor of euthanasia is comical in this regard," he writes. Searching for the countries in relation to which France would be "behind", they find only " Belgium , Holland and Luxembourg; I'm not really impressed ”.

Michel Houellebecq also salutes the courage of doctors opposed to assisted suicide, whose freedom of conscience is one of the provisions present in the bill. “When a country - a society, a civilization - comes to legalize euthanasia,” he concludes emphatically, “it loses, in my eyes, any right to respect. It therefore becomes not only legitimate, but desirable, to destroy it; so that something else, another country, another society, another civilization has a chance to thrive. "