The Portuguese Parliament adopted at first reading on Thursday, February 20, five bills in favor of the decriminalization of euthanasia, a possibility that currently exists only in three other European countries.
The text submitted by the Socialist Party (in power), which determines " the special conditions for the practice of non-punishable euthanasia ", was approved with 127 votes for, 86 votes against and ten abstentions, out of a total of 230 seats .
Read also: Belgium: debate on euthanasia for "life accomplished"
Similar proposals from the Left Bloc (far left), the PAN animal party, the Greens and a Liberal MP were also adopted, with barely tighter results.
Most of the deputies of the Social Democratic Party (PSD, center right), the main opposition party, voted against the texts, as did the elected members of the Communist Party, of the right-wing minority party CDS-PP and the only representative of 'far right.
In May 2018, the Portuguese Parliament had rejected by a very small majority of five votes several texts going in the same direction. Since then, the ruling socialists have emerged strengthened from the legislative elections in October, tipping the scales in favor of euthanasia.
Read also: Belgium: debate on euthanasia for "life accomplished"
The proposals adopted at first reading on Thursday must now be merged into a single text which will then be submitted to a final vote of the Parliament, which could take place before the summer. This law must then be submitted for signature by the President of the Republic, the curator Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
The head of state has not openly taken a position on the subject but, as a devout Catholic, he could veto, which would however be canceled by a second vote of deputies, or send the text to the Constitutional Court for that it judges its conformity with the fundamental law of the country.
If this legislative process is successful, Portugal will become the fourth European country to legalize euthanasia after the Netherlands and Belgium in 2002, then Luxembourg in 2009.
