BUDAPEST — Only a handful of European countries have legislation in place that decriminalizes the act of physician-assisted dying for certain patients, such as those who are terminally ill. But in recent months, public debates on the topic have been on the rise. Most notably, perhaps, were comments made by French President Emmanuel Macron to the press in March 2024 saying he was in favor of assisted dying under strict conditions.
He explained that some of the wording in the draft French bill, which aims to make it possible for some people to request aid in dying under strict conditions, could imply that people with psychiatric conditions may be about to be included. Courtet asked: Has the person tried all the available therapies, refused treatment, or been diagnosed with treatment-resistant illness? Even for those with the latter, there is some hope, he said. In addition, how do you define something so subjective as unbearable suffering, and what if people change their mind?
In 2003, she said, the number of assisted suicides recorded in Switzerland was 187. In 2022, it was 1594. Most of these assisted suicides involved women or older adults.