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[POLITICS] · Italy · 35 sources

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Italy government challenges Veneto assisted suicide law

The Italian Council of Ministers has decided to challenge the Veneto regional law regarding medically assisted suicide before the Constitutional Court. The government argues that jurisdiction over this matter belongs to the state rather than individual regions. This move follows similar challenges against laws in Tuscany, Sardinia, and Emilia-Romagna.

The decision has caused visible divisions within the ruling majority. Matteo Salvini, the Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Lega, did not participate in the discussion or the vote. Conversely, Regional Affairs Minister Roberto Calderoli, also from the Lega, voted against the challenge, arguing the law merely provides organizational guidelines within existing frameworks.

Veneto Regional President Luca Zaia defended the law, stating he personally supported and voted for it. He noted that the challenge provides an opportunity for further legal clarification. Meanwhile, Forza Italia representative Antonio Tajani requested that the need for national legislative intervention be recorded in the minutes to prevent a proliferation of conflicting regional laws.

National legislation remains stalled in the Senate. Two competing texts are currently held in joint committees: the Bazoli bill proposed by the opposition and a majority-backed text by Pierantonio Zanettin and Ignazio Zullo. The impasse persists seven years after the Constitutional Court's 2019 ruling, which decriminalized assisted suicide under specific conditions.

Entities

Antonio Tajani · Aviano · Constitutional Court · Constitutional Court of Italy · Council of Ministers · Italian Government · Luca Zaia · Matteo Salvini · Roberto Calderoli · Sicilian Episcopal Conference · Sicily · Silvia Baldassarre

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