Portuguese parliament votes to allow limited euthanasia
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- 12 May 2023
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In a landmark decision, Portugal's parliament has voted to legalize medically assisted dying under certain circumstances. The legislation permits medical professionals to help patients end their lives if they suffer from extreme and incurable pain due to a terminal illness or severe injury, and are incapable of doing so themselves.
This vote overturns several vetoes imposed by Portugal's conservative President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. The law was overwhelmingly supported by deputies, with almost all members of the governing Socialist Party (PS), along with three smaller left-leaning parties and the Liberal Initiative (IL), voting in favor. Notably, some members of the largest opposition party, the center-right Social Democrats (PSD), also supported the bill.
The legislation was welcomed by Isabel Moreira, the Socialist Party politician responsible for its passage through parliament, who hailed it as a realization of freedoms sought after during Portugal's 1974 Revolution, which brought about democracy in the country. She also noted that overturning a presidential veto was "normal" in a democratic state, especially after a public debate that lasted more than three years.
However, the Chega party, the third-largest in parliament, and the Communist Party (PCP), along with most PSD members, opposed the bill. Chega leader André Ventura demanded a referendum on the issue of euthanasia, claiming that even if the law were to be passed, no doctor in Portugal would be willing to act on its provisions.
President de Sousa, who vetoed the bill in April, has eight days to sign it into law once it is published in the official gazette. Nevertheless, the legislation may still be delayed or even derailed if one in ten members of parliament request the Constitutional Court to review the legislation. Already, several PSD members of parliament have declared their intention to do so.
While Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands permit full legalization of euthanasia, many more European countries have legalized passive euthanasia and assisted death. Portugal now joins the ranks of these countries, allowing patients with terminal illnesses or severe injuries to seek medical assistance to end their suffering.