The Constitutional Court has declared inadmissible the question proposed by the Coscioni Association and supported by a series of associations that ask to decriminalize the murder of the consenting party. Pending the filing of the sentence on euthanasia, the Communication Office has made it known that the Council considered the referendum question inadmissible because, “following the repeal, albeit partial, of the law on the murder of the consenting party, which the question aims at , the minimum constitutionally necessary protection of human life would not be preserved, in general, and with particular reference to the weak and vulnerable ”.
In the spring, therefore, there will be no vote on the referendum on euthanasia. While the ruling on the other seven referendums is expected for Wednesday 16 February: one concerns the decriminalization of cannabis – which still sees among its promoters the Coscioni Association with + Europa, Radicale Italiani, Possible, Potere al popolo and Prc and a long series of associations – the others are all about justice.
Euthanasia: Cappato, bad news, forward with other tools
Immediate comments. “This is bad news for us – said Marco Cappato, of the Luca Coscioni association, after the news arrived from the consultation on the inadmissibility of the referendum for legal euthanasia -. This is bad news for those who suffer and will have to suffer even longer. Bad news for democracy. On euthanasia we will continue with other tools, we have other tools. As with Piergiorgio Welby and Dj Fabio. We will go ahead with civil disobedience, we will appeal. Legal euthanasia against clandestine euthanasia ». “I did not expect it – was the comment of Mina Welby -. I got a stab at my heart from the Constitutional Court. I am speechless and very sad. I am thinking of what to do, I would like to carry on my husband’s legacy because he was the one who wanted a good end of life law. Now I want to put pressure on the parliamentarians so that the law they are working on becomes a good law, which includes all the people who will need it ». Instead, Antonio Brandi, president of Pro Vita & Famiglia applauds: “The Constitutional Court has strongly rejected the” bioethical populism “of the Radicals, who attempted to bring euthanasia to Italy with a referendum on the murder of the consenting party which would have allowed anyone to kill friends and relatives at their slightest gesture of consent. We are grateful to the Court for the courage with which it did not allow itself to be intimidated by political and media pressures of all kinds ».
From Salvini to Letta, political reactions
Reactions also from political forces. “I’m sorry, the rejection of a referendum is never good news,” said the leader of the League, Matteo Salvini. “The rejection by the Constitutional Court of the referendum on legal euthanasia must now push the Parliament to approve the law on assisted suicide, according to the indications of the Court itself,” wrote the secretary of the Democratic Party, Enrico Letta on Twitter. While the national secretary of the Italian Left, Nicola Fratoianni recalled that “the inadmissibility of the referendum question on legal euthanasia is bad news for over 1 million citizens who had proposed it and especially for those who have been waiting for a long time to be recognized the right to a dignified end of life, and is today abandoned in suffering. Now the battle for civilization must continue in the country, and in those parliamentary halls which, guiltily, never wanted to face it ».
Here are the 8 questions to the Admissibility Council: