A last wish

sons ­ or on their behalf if previously officially authorisedsuffering from a serious and incurable illness or serious, chronic and incapacitating suffering deemed unacceptable by the patient and which could not be mitigated by other means.

The law obliges the patient to present an initial application in writing and then a second 15 days later.

The request is analysed by two doctors and if they refuse it, the patient can appeal to a Guarantee and Evaluation

Committee.

The issue has been a topic of hot debate since the approval of the law, with the opposition PP and Vox initially vowing to revoke it if they got to power.

This week both parties signed an agreement establishing ‘guarantees for the person in the process of dying to defend the culture of life against euthanasia as the only way out of pain’ and ‘to ensure dignified health care and medical, family and spiritual accompaniment of the sick’.