Dutch politicians are under pressure to hold “time to die” debate

The Dutch parliament is under mounting pressure to debate legalising assisted suicide for older people who are not dying but feel their life is over. A campaign by a group of prominent senior figures in Dutch society has raised 85 000 signatures in ten days—exceeding the 40 000 needed to trigger a parliamentary debate under a “citizens’ initiative” law.

The group, called Of One’s Own Free Will (Uit Vrije Wil), seeks to “legalise help with dying for older people who regard their life as complete, at their explicit request and under conditions of carefulness and verifiability.” The group includes former health minister Hedy d’Ancona, …