What’s the stance of your country with regards to euthanasia?

15 comments

1. That depends on how exactly we understand euthanasia. Ending the life of another person, according to their wish, is illegal, and is punished according to paragraph 239 of the penal code, while abetting or assisting suicide is punished according to paragraph 240.

   Usually the above two are called “active euthanasia” in Denmark. There also is a term “passive euthanasia,” covering the act of, knowingly, giving pain relieving medications, to ease the pains of a dying person, even if this act may accelerate the point of death. However, if the amount of medication administered is, literally, enough to kill a person, we are talking about either a paragraph 239 violation, or, in the case of the patient not being able to ask for the medication themselves, a mercy killing; this is regarded as manslaughter.

   Do I see it active euthanasia becoming legal anytime soon? I don’t know. I think the rules and legislation might change in ways, giving patients more say in certain matters, but I doubt euthanasia is becoming legal outright. This is more often down to ethical concerns, rather than religious ones, though of course religious influence on ethical beliefs cannot be ignored. Let me try and rephrase it: politicians don’t appeal to religion as a reason for their stances on euthanasia. >!Religion, Christianity specifically, is only ever really appealed to, when liberals talk about how “Denmark is a Christian nation,” when it comes to things like pork in public institutions.!<

   Personally, I think euthanasia should be an option, but only in extremely specific circumstances, and only in very controlled environments.

2. Euthanasia, as in a doctor killing a patient, is illegal, even when the patient requests it.

   Assisted suicide, a doctor providing a patient with the means to kill themselves in a safe way, is legal and not uncommon. There are a quite a few clinics and non-profit organizations that offer it.

   Very important difference. I don’t see euthanasia becoming legal anytime soon. Likewise I don’t see assisted suicide becoming illegal as a realistic scenario, it’s generally seen as an important part of the medical system.

   I’ve never heard any religious arguments for or against it. Religion is generally quite uncommon in politics.

3. It’s completely illegal, despite the polls showing that 90% of people think it should be a possibility.

   It’s not a secret that lots of doctors and nurses have helped people die though… But they are always taking a big risk.

   Only thing allowed is to sedate someone so that they are completely unconscious until they die, better than nothing I guess.

   The topic regularly comes back in the media, but at that point I think it’s just that no politician wants its name on a law about suicide (it’s usual to name a law after whoever was in charge of creating it, or with the name of someone signing it… It’s not an official name but it’s the one commonly used).

4. It is legal in the Netherlands under pretty strict (and in my opinion needed) conditions.

   I think most people here agree with the status-quo of having euthanasia as an option, but only after every single possible way to help the individual has been exhausted AND consent is very clear, AND an ethics board believes the decision is ethical.

   There’s still some kinks in the law, for example regarding underaged individuals who also might want euthanasia for incurable diseases that cause quite a lot of suffering, but these all tend to side with caution and not provide euthanasia, rather than provide euthanasia and later regret it.

5. It’s illegal and I don’t see it coming soon, but I think it should be available for people with terminal illness. I personally don’t want to suffer years in a hospital bed, incapable of doing anything, full of morphines to ease my pain. I want to die as quick as possible without long agony, and my friends whose relatives died after long suffering say the same.

6. It’s currently illegal in Portugal, but it will probably become legal before the end of the year. There’s been some back and forth regarding the specifics of the situations it will be allowed in, but it doesn’t look like there’s any chance of it not becoming legal.

7. Belgium is one of the few countries where minors can decide to have euthanasia.

   American media likes to make it seem like we shoot children in the streets if they have a cold.

   2021 there were no (zero) euthanasia cases for minors. I think less than 2% are under 45 years of age anyway.

8. Assisted suicide has been discussed for a long time now. The first initiative within a legislative body was taken by the Saarland, Hesse and Thuringia in the Bundesrat in 2006. Their draft was however – on their own request – referred back to the committees for further consideration and never voted on. It still had an impact though, since it laid a foundation for later drafts in the Bundestag.

   The Bundestag finally decided in 2015 to outlaw business like active assisted suicide. Note that, since it is a very ethical question, the process was not mainly done by parties but by individual members of parliament in their own capacity.

   However, the Federal Constitutional Court in its judgement of 26 February 2020 ruled on constitutional complaints by individuals and euthanasia clubs, finding that the law is incompatible with fundamental rights and therefore void. ([Judgement (in English)](https://www.bundesverfassungsgericht.de/SharedDocs/Entscheidungen/EN/2020/02/rs20200226_2bvr234715en.html))

   Since then, members of parliament have again introduced bills to regulate assisted suicide again, however they only talked in general about these things (somehow there were more important things to do in 2020/2021). These were reintroduced in the new legislature. They have been read the first time and referred to the relevant committees. There are 3 versions: 1 adding excemptions to the provision of 2015 to make it constitutionally (with most signatories), 1 making a own law that regulates (active) assisted suicide while amending the provision of 2015 and 1 making a own law regulating (active) assisted suicide, but without amending the provision of 2015.

   By just looking quick, the word “religion” was only mentioned by Beatrix von Storch (member of far-right AfD) once. As far as I can observe, one of the main arguments against a wide solution is to discourage people in a bad situation (economic, personal, etc) to just leave and say “well, I think I want to die now” and then actually do it. Since you can’t really undo that.

9. Passive euthanasia is legal if the person decides to stop treatment (i.e cancer patients or other lethal conditions where the person is still mentally able). Also if the person has a living will to specify certain situational care (i.e DNR). Mostly covered under the umbrella of palliative care.

   Active euthanasia is still prohibited, but has been discussed in parliament. Majority of populace and healthcare professionals agree towards, but as there is still sizable opposition it’ll take time either way.

   There is the concept of assisted suicide, where a person technically commits suicide but with outside assistance (i.e overdoses themselves, but has someone help by facilitation). Technically legal, because you can’t be penalized of taking your own meds, and there’s no legislation to punish the assistant.

10. Yes, it’s illegal and a part of conservative theory about the “civilisation of death” in the west, which includes birth control, sexual revolution, satanism and euthanasia.

    A few people from Lewica support it, so people suffering from terminal diseases could die in peace and with dignity. I don’t see it getting legalised in coming years, but who knows- PiS are the ones who made medical marijuana, for similar purposes, legal in 2017 (and now growing it in Poland is legal). Slowly, but we’re becoming another Netherlands lmao

11. It comes up here every now and then. Most people support its availability for those who are near the end of life. But it’s obviously legally complicated so politicians aren’t eager to tackle it. Doctors’ associations have mixed or negative views towards it. We’re a very litigious country so I think a lot of them would fear being sued.

12. It’s currently Illegal but I hope it gets legalised. Not to long ago a family friend died of breast cancer it was a really long fight that took up nearly half her life. In her last year and few months she was in so much pain she was heavily drugged and whenever the dosage was not enough she would just be screaming constantly. It was no way to live just waiting and waiting for the inevitable while being constantly filled with pain killers.

    Another friend of my nans died after a long time suffering from Alzheimer’s. She got so bad towards the end she couldn’t even open her eyes or move at all. She was basically a living corpse for years. Before she got really bad she said to her kids ‘if I ever get to that point then out a pillow over my face and just get it over with’. Of course they didn’t do it but I don’t blame them it shouldn’t be their job.

    If someone’s death is inevitable and the time they spend living is going to be filled with pain for them and trauma for the rest of the family then euthanasia should be an option. We wouldn’t allow a dog to suffer like that so why should we have to watch our loved ones die in unimaginable pain?

13. Seeing how dumb my countrymen are, it would probably be something like this:

    *nOoO hOw cAn YoU tAkE a LiFe, tHaT’s aGaInSt GoD’s WiLl!*

    However, if you ask them about death penalty, they will say:

    *oF cOuRsE, KiLl hIm, eYe FoR eYE* then proceed to say the most heinous torture methods ever. The same samaritans and God-fearing people.

14. It’s completely illegal and is classified as either murder or manslaughter. Does not matter how much the person verifies that it’s with consent, it’s completely illegal. As a doctor you can get your license revoked and of course be charged as a criminal. The government as early as 1997 has stated opposition against the idea of euthanasia.

    In the Medical Associations ethical rules there is paragraph that states that the doctor must consider the importance of protecting human life and thus never take any measures aimed to hastening death.

    At this point only passive can be practised, which it is on people in coma or if a patient has a deadly disease that stops their treatment.

15. It’s illegal and I don’t see it becoming legal any time soon, although I wish that wasn’t the case, my opinion is that if we spare our pets the suffering at the end of life, people should also have the right to decide to do the same for themselves (obviously, as in countries where it’s legal, it must be heavily regulated). And yeah, because the Catholic church has a huge influence on just about every aspect of society in this country and constantly meddles and interferes with politics (despite the fact that Croatia is officially secular), many arguments against it are religious.