Overview

• Parliament approved the bill on July 18 by 50 votes to 34, with three abstentions, following a 2024 referendum in which 55% of voters backed the measure.
• The law allows terminally ill adults experiencing unbearable suffering to receive medical assistance to end their lives after exhausting all other treatment options.
• The legislation explicitly excludes patients whose suffering stems solely from mental illness.
• Implementation procedures and oversight mechanisms are due to be finalised by health authorities before the law comes into force.
• Opponents, including the Commission for Medical Ethics and conservative parties, cite high ethical risks and are mobilising support for a second referendum.