The Spanish parliament voted on Thursday to legalize euthanasia, becoming one of the first countries to allow terminally ill and seriously injured patients to end their suffering.
Of the 350 members of parliament, 202 voted in favor, 141 against and two abstained, with Spain becoming the fourth European country alongside the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg to decriminalize assisted suicide.
A similar law was passed by the Portuguese parliament in January, but was blocked by the Constitutional Court this week.
Spanish law allows euthanasia when medical staff intentionally die to stop suffering and assisted suicide when the patient performs the procedure himself.
The law, supported by the left and center parties, allows anyone suffering from “serious and incurable diseases” to demand help to die in order to end “unbearable suffering”.
The patient must be a Spanish citizen or legal resident, must be fully aware at the time of the request, which must be submitted in writing twice, with the second application 15 days after the first.
However, the doctor may reject the application if he considers that the relevant criteria have not been met. This must also be confirmed by the other doctor and the evaluation committee.
Any doctor may, for reasons of conscience, refuse to take part in a procedure which will be carried out within the Spanish National Health Service.
Parliament’s decision has been welcomed by patients and euthanasia activists.
The Catholic Church, the right-wing and far-right opposition have condemned it, while several medics have expressed concern about the modalities of its implementation.
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