The parliament votes today, in a final global vote, on the decriminalization of medically assisted death in Portugal, after an attempt by the PSD to postpone the last minute, but without success.
The law, the result of the projects approved in February 2020, should be approved with the votes of the PS, BE, Greens, Liberal Initiative and some deputies of the PSD. The PS and PSD gave their deputies the freedom to vote.
In view of the sanitary rules due to the Covid-19 epidemic, and in order to prevent many deputies from being in the Chamber at the same time, voting will take place in three stages, by groups of deputies.
To be approved, the law must thenbe approved by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. If the President agrees to pass the law, Portugal will be the fourth country in Europe, and the seventh in the world, to decriminalize euthanasia.
The law states, in particular, that persons over the age of 18, without mental problems or illnesses, in a situation of suffering and with an incurable disease, can request medically assisted death, through a doctor.
Original article available in Portuguese at http://postal.pt/
