Zurich edges towards retirement home euthanasia
The Swiss canton of Zurich is in favour of allowing euthanasia in all retirement homes and hospitals, but not psychiatric facilities and prisons.
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Zurich edges towards retirement home euthanasia
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The cantonal council voted in favour of the counter-proposal to a popular initiative. This would require all retirement homes and hospitals in the canton to tolerate assisted dying on their premises. A final vote on the issue is still pending.
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The counter-proposal will now go to the drafting committee. The cantonal council will vote definitively on the initiative and counter-proposal at one of its next meetings.
The cantonal government is generally in favour of euthanasia in all retirement and nursing homes. It has drawn up a corresponding counter-proposal to the initiative “Self-determination at the end of life in retirement and nursing homes too”. This would mean that all homes would have to tolerate euthanasia in future.
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However, the text of a popular initiative also calls for euthanasia in hospitals, psychiatric wards and prisons. The initiative has been labelled a “sham” on several occasions because of its title.
Previous ruling challenged
Two further variants were submitted. Some parties want compulsory toleration of euthanasia in hospitals. The Swiss People’s Party, by contrast, believes that the canton’s government should determine guidelines. All parties rejected euthanasia in psychiatric clinics and prisons.
The popular initiative challenges a cantonal decision in October 2022 that not all care homes should allow euthanasia on their premises, but only those with a service mandate from a municipality. This considers religious care homes, that often reject euthanasia.
The debate was emotional, with some politicians arguing that care home staff should not be faced with assisted suicide if they do not support euthanasia.
Those in favour argued that care homes should respect people who can no longer endure their suffering nad that choice should not be made dependent on the place of residence.
The popular initiative could be withdrawn if the counter-proposal became law. In this case a different referendum could be held, giving citizens a say on the matter.
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Adapted from German by AI/mga
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