End of life, the government challenges the law of the Tuscany Region
The case
President Giani: "We will defend our legislation". The Coscioni Association: "The majority is against any national or regional provision that protects people's rights"
The government , according to what has been learned, has decided in the Council of Ministers to challenge the Tuscan law on the end of life . The provisions of the region, the first to regulate the matter, were approved in mid-March. " It is paradoxical that, instead of working on a national law that has been awaited for years, the Government chooses to hinder those who have committed to implementing what was established by the Constitutional Court which indicated the need to fill a legislative gap in the matter of medically assisted suicide. We will defend our law with determination, certain that we have acted in compliance with the law, the Constitution and, above all, people ." This was stated by the Tuscan governor Eugenio Giani .
“ As President of the Tuscany Region ,” Giani continues , “I express deep disappointment at the Government’s decision to challenge our law on end-of-life care. This law represents an act of institutional responsibility and respect for people who face unbearable suffering. Our legislation ,” he adds, “ was drafted in implementation of the Constitutional Court ruling no. 242 of 2019, which indicated the need to fill a legislative gap in the field of medically assisted suicide. In the absence of a national law, Tuscany has chosen to provide concrete answers to citizens, in full compliance with constitutional principles .”
President Eugenio Giani“ By appealing against our popular initiative law 'Liberi Subito', approved by the Regional Council of Tuscany, the Government continues in its desperate attempt to prevent any legislation, national or regional, that provides guarantees and rights on end-of-life choices. To do this, the Government of differentiated autonomy is appealing to prevent the exercise of existing autonomy .” This is what Filomena Gallo and Marco Cappato , national secretary and treasurer of the Luca Coscioni association, state in a note regarding the Government 's decision to challenge the Tuscan law on end-of-life .
The Luca Coscioni Association" However, let us remember - they add - that the right to assisted suicide was affirmed by sentences 242 of 2019 and 135 of 2024, which have the force of law. Our regional law only serves to guarantee certain methods and times to people who ask the National Health Service to verify the requirements established by the Court and to avoid waits of months or years, such as those imposed on Federico Carboni, Laura Santi, Martina Oppelli, Fabio Ridolfi, 'Gloria'. In the meantime - the association recalls - , faced with the inertia of Parliament, a new intervention by the Constitutional Court is expected, the fifth in seven years, on the subject of the end of life, on the cases of Elena and Romano, accompanied to Switzerland with an act of civil disobedience to be able to resort to assisted suicide ".
l'Unità
