Eventually allow assisted suicide for people under 75: D66 leader Pechtold

If it is up to D66 leader Alexander Pechtold, his party's proposal for a "dignified end of life" will eventually be expanded to include people under the age of 75 years. He said this on Nieuwsuur after being confronted with a 57-year-old man who wishes to die, NOS reports.

The man wanted to know why Pechtold's party wants to implement a law that only gives people over the age of 75 the option of assisted suicide. "I have to wait 18 years. I don't want that. I want now", the man said to Pechtold.

"That's intense", Pechtold reacted. He told the man that he hopes that eventually people of any age will be able to make a dignified end to their lives. Personally he believes that it is a personal matter, up to the individual. But a proposal needs support.

"I hope that our civilization will move so far in the future." Pechtold said. He added that the D66 deliberately chose for the 75 years age limit, because a lower limit is not feasible in the current political climate. "We now have broad support for this initiative. We must not let that support be disrupted and therefore we tackle it step by step."