December 19, 2020 11:18:58 am
Spain’s parliament voted Thursday to legalize euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in a 230-140 vote while two abstained. The bill would allow terminally ill patients to choose between euthanasia — performed by a health care professional — or assisted suicide at home with physician-prescribed lethal medications. Lawmakers are set to vote on a final decision before the bill goes into force.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón first presented the draft law in February and argued to decriminalize assisted suicide after two failed attempts to garner majority support. This time, Pérez-Castejón successfully achieved majority support from center-right Ciudadano and a few other smaller parties.