PN holding internal discussions on assisted suicide proposal

The Nationalist Party will declare an official position on government’s proposal to introduce the right to assisted suicide after internal discussions are completed this week. 

The PN kicked off the discussion within its internal structures last week and these will continue in the coming days, a party spokesperson told MaltaToday. 

“No comments will be given until these discussions are over, after which the party will declare its official position,” the spokesperson said. 

The PN parliamentary group is expected to discuss the issue on Tuesday with sources telling MaltaToday, MPs have divergent views on the matter. 

“There are MPs who agree with assisted dying, others are opposed, and a good number are sitting on the fence,” the sources said, adding it was reasonable to have mixed views on a sensitive issue like euthanasia. 

PN MPs are likely to face pressure from their more conservative constituents to oppose euthanasia, in line with the Catholic Church’s stand. However, those looking at the party statute to reinforce their religious views are unlikely to find solace. 

The PN statute speaks of a party committed to ensure “everyone grows and enjoys wellbeing, from conception to the last breath… within a family built on love…”. While the reference to “conception” has been historically interpreted as impeding the PN from taking a pro-abortion stance, the reference to “last breath” and not ‘natural death’ allows for a wider interpretation when dealing with issues like assisted dying. 

Nonetheless, in the absence of adopting a favourable stance, the party may also opt to give its MPs a free vote in parliament like it had done on divorce legislation in 2011. In this way, MPs will be allowed to vote according to their conscience. 

Reforms Parliamentary Secretary Rebecca Buttigieg released a consultation document that proposes the legalisation of voluntary assisted dying for adult terminally ill patients who have been given a life expectancy of six months.