ROME. The referendum on euthanasia is inadmissible. This was established by the Constitutional Court which met today in the council chamber to discuss the admissibility of the consultation for the «Partial repeal of article 579 of the Penal Code (murder of the consenting party)». Pending the filing of the sentence, the Communication and Press Office informs that the Court has deemed the referendum question inadmissible because, following the repeal, albeit partial, of the law on the murder of the consenting party, to which the question aims, it would not be preserved the minimum constitutionally necessary protection of human life, in general, and with particular reference to the weak and vulnerable. The sentence will be filed in the next few days.
Euthanasia, the Consulta rejects the referendum. Cappato: “Bad news for democracy”
«This is bad news for us – comments Marco Cappato, of the Luca Coscioni association -. This is bad news for those who suffer and will have to suffer even longer. Bad news for democracy ». On euthanasia, he adds, “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 ». Mina Welby talks about “stab at the heart: 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 ».
Euthanasia, justice and soft drugs: referendum in the final sprint
Of a diametrically opposite opinion – on Twitter – the comment of Mario Adinolfi, People of the family: «The Consulta rejected the referendum on euthanasia, the People of the Family always explained that it was an inadmissible question. We are happy to have seen our reasons recognized, life in the Italian legal system is an unavailable asset. Great victory of prolife Italy ». Paola Binetti, senator of the UDC, expresses “extreme satisfaction” at the decision of the Council: “Our line has passed: there is no vote on life. I now hope that the Chamber will act consistently with the decisions taken by the Court ». Satisfaction and gratitude “towards the high magisterium of constitutional judges attentive to the protection of the principles of the Constitutional Charter and the most fragile people” is expressed by Alberto Gambino, president of Scienza e Vita, an association that works in synergy with the CEI on the issues of the purpose life. «We are particularly pleased – observes Gambino -. At this point the Parliament regains its prerogatives and we will be particularly careful that what the Constitutional Court has clearly stated that it cannot enter through the door does not come back through the window, “he observes. «It is a day of great coherence between the principles of the constitutional charter – he concludes – and the good of our citizenship with particular attention to the weakest and most lonely. The loneliest people without family and destitute are easily those who could slide towards euthanasia drifts ».
For the secretary of the Democratic Party, Enrico Letta, 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”. “I am sorry, the rejection of a referendum is never good news”, also comments the leader of the League, Matteo Salvini, commenting on the rejection of the referendum on legal euthanasia by the Constitutional Court. Giuseppe Conte, M5S leader, arriving in the Chamber for the assembly, had declared: “We would like to have an online consultation, also to involve the members”. “When citizens are not given the floor on such important issues, it is always a defeat – declared the Secretary of the PSI, Enzo Maraio -. Parliament now demonstrates maturity and gives an answer to that million Italians who supported the referendum. The PSI will continue this battle ».
Maria Antonietta Farina Coscioni, president of the Luca Coscioni Institute, is prudent, she waits to “carefully read the sentence of the Constitutional Court: at the moment it can be said that in recent days many jurists had warned that probably the referendum relating to the partial repeal of the article 579 of the penal code would have been declared inadmissible ». In general, she says, “it is confirmation that on these issues it is necessary to proceed with the utmost attention, prudence and caution, without prejudice to the intentions of the promoters of the initiative”.
The constitutionalist Alfonso Celotto, now a lawyer for + Europa, was also prudent and premiered: “It was a complex question”. Then he says: «We hoped for it because Italy, in a changing society, needs a regulation of euthanasia. But to fully understand the reasons why the Court did not consider the referendum admissible we must wait for the reasons ».