The law will only apply to Portuguese citizens and legal residents of the country. The proposal has met with strong opposition from conservative President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are only allowed in a handful of countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Many who are critical of euthanasia regret that the issue has not been put to a referendum and hope that it will once again be dealt with by the Constitutional Court. The new law may come into force this autumn.