Roundup: Assisted "death with dignity" divides Dutch political parties

Dutch political parties' difference in opinions on the issue of assisted suicide became clear on Friday in the aftermath of remarks made by D66 party leader Alexander Pechtold on the age limit for those wishing to end their lives.

In December last year, D66 (Democrats) presented a law proposal to allow people aged 75 years or older to be assisted with suicide irrespective of their medical situation. But on Thursday night, Pechtold was confronted with a 57-year-old man with a death wish on the Dutch TV news show Nieuwsuur and the politician answered that the law should also be applicable for people under 75 in the future.

"I have to wait for 18 years now, but I do not want to," the man said. "I want it now."

Pechtold referred to the man's situation as "intense" and said he hoped that ultimately also people under 75 could have the choice to bring about a dignified end to their lives. "I hope that our civilization will be that far in the future," Pechtold said.

Twelve days before the Dutch elections, a fierce public debate arose following Pechtold's remarks. Christian parties -- the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), Christian Union (CU) and Reformed Political Party (SGP) -- traditionally strong opponents of assisted suicide, spoke out against the D66 leader's statements. CU leader Gert-Jan Segers said on Twitter that the remarks were "literally fatal," SGP leader Kees van der Staaij called it "astonishing news," and Sybrand Buma of CDA said "it's our job to show that there is a future for everyone."

GroenLinks (GreenLeft) leader Jesse Klaver called it a "dilemma", while VVD's Member of Parliament Arno Rutte supported Pechtold. "This choice, even if some people find it uncomfortable, should not be linked to an age," he told national broadcaster NOS.

In October last year, the current government, consisting of the VVD (Liberals) and the PvdA (Labor), already announced that a new law on this matter would be welcome. Two months later D66 presented the bill, which stated that an older person who is, independent of his medical condition, ready to stop living should be assisted with suicide under a number of conditions. The elderly must be at least 75 years old and there must be a sustained, deliberate, and intrinsic will to die.

According to the bill, a specially-trained life ending coach should assess such a request and the procedure should be controlled by a regional committee. The assisted suicide should not be confused with euthanasia, involving unbearable and incurable suffering. The new law should function alongside the current euthanasia law.

The Dutch Act on the subject, active since 2002, is based strictly on a medical perspective. Euthanasia means a doctor ends the life of a patient suffering from unbearable and incurable pain and illness by administering lethal drugs. Assisted suicide by a doctor for such a patient also falls under the Dutch euthanasia law. The patient then takes the deadly drugs himself. Euthanasia is now only possible at the request of the patient and a doctor is not required to participate.

With the D66 bill, even older people with no medical complaints can decide on when to end their lives. In a debate last year, a minority in parliament, Christian Parties CDA, CU, and SGP, and SP (Socialist Party) and the PVV (Party for Freedom), showed their disagreement with the bill, while a majority of VVD, PvdA, D66 and GroenLinks was in favor.

Although D66 itself is in favor of removing the age limit in the new law, Pechtold said on Thursday evening that they had deliberately chosen 75 as the age limit. A lower limit is politically not achievable at this time. "We now have broad support for this initiative," he said. "We must not let that support be disrupted and therefore we take step by step." Endit