The President of the Economic and Social Council (CES), Francisco Assis, was convinced this Sunday that questions of the constitutionality of the law on euthanasia will be overcome, and soon a law on death by a doctor will be passed in Portugal.
“In Portugal, the process is very advanced. I believe that constitutionality issues are about to be overcome and therefore there will soon be new legislation in the country on this issue,” Francisco Assis said in a statement to Lusa News. agency in Paris, where he takes part in the proceedings of a convention set up to discuss medical death in France.
The Constitutional Court (CC) declared unconstitutional on Monday certain provisions of the decree governing death in the course of medical care, in response to a preventive screening request by the President of the Republic, who has since resubmitted the diploma to Parliament.
This was the third decree approved by the Portuguese Parliament on this subject.
In France, the creation of a law on medically assisted death is a campaign promise by President Emmanuel Macron, who instructed Prime Minister Elisabeth Born to create a Citizens’ Convention to explore a new legal framework for such an issue.
This convention is made up of 185 citizens representing all of France who will listen to doctors, political leaders and associations for and against the legalization of euthanasia for several months.
“This path they have found in France is due to the fact that France, in previous moments, has experienced deep divisions in certain areas, with greater tensions than in Portugal. President Macron understood this tension and, without striving for its absolute easing, tried to find a mechanism that allows for a freer discussion,” the CES President believes.
Francisco Assis is in Paris at the invitation of his colleague Thierry Bodet, President of the French Council for Economic, Social and Environmental Affairs (CESE), which is organizing the conference.
At the end of this congress, the citizens will present their proposals to President Macron, and then the government will present a draft for discussion in the National Assembly (French Parliament).
“I find this experience interesting, one of the competencies of CES is to encourage the participation of citizens in public life. So far, this has not been the most developed, but it is a priority for us,” said Francisco Assis, indicating that this could be a method of discussing other topics in Portugal.
The French citizens chosen to participate in this convention will continue to deliberate until March.
Currently, many French people resort to euthanasia in Belgium or Switzerland, where this possibility is legal.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal

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