Netherlands – Dries van Agt, a prominent figure in Dutch politics and the former Prime Minister, and his wife Eugenie, chose to end their lives through the practice of duo euthanasia. The couple passed away in their hometown, Nijmegen, holding hands at the age of 93.
Dries van Agt's tenure as Prime Minister of the Netherlands lasted from 1977 to 1982, during which he also became the inaugural leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal party.
His political journey was marked by a commitment to his values, even after his time in office, as evidenced by his founding of The Rights Forum in 2009, an organisation dedicated to advocating for Palestinian rights.
The Rights Forum shared the news of the couple's passing in an official announcement. The concept of duo euthanasia, while still relatively uncommon, has seen a gradual increase in the Netherlands, with 58 cases reported in 2022.
PM Belanda dan istri
“In consultation with the immediate family, we announce that our founder and honorary chairman Dries van Agt passed away on Monday, February 5, in his hometown of Nijmegen. He died together and hand in hand with his beloved wife Eugenie van Agt-Krekelberg, the support and support with whom he was together for more than seventy years, and whom he always continued to refer to as my girl. The funeral took place privately. Van Agt and his wife were both 93 years old,” the statement read when translated from Dutch.
According to a report by the Guardian, Elke Swart, spokesperson for the Expertisecentrum Euthanasie said that each request for assisted death is rigorously evaluated on an individual basis to ensure it meets the stringent criteria set forth by Dutch law.
“Interest in this is growing, but it is still rare. It is pure chance that two people are suffering unbearably with no prospect of relief at the same time â€æ and that they both wish for euthanasia,” Swart said.
The funeral of Van Agt and his wife was a private one.
As information, Euthanasia is the act of intentionally ending one's life to end unbearable suffering, especially in the context of an incurable disease or chronic and painful medical condition.
Euthanasia can be performed at the patient's own request (voluntary euthanasia) or without the patient's consent, such as in the case of patients who are incapable of making medical decisions (non-voluntary euthanasia).
The act of euthanasia is highly controversial and has many complex ethical, moral, legal and religious aspects. In the Netherlands, the practice has been legalized since 2002 but remains strictly controlled by law.
The choice to undergo euthanasia was due to the fact that Van Agt and Van Agt had many health problems. In 2019, Van Agt suffered a stroke from which he never recovered. So did his wife, Eugenie, whose health continued to decline. According to information, the two died holding hands.
Euthanasia in the Netherlands
There were already 8720 people who died from euthanasia in the Netherlands in 2020. There were at least 29 couples who died together in 2022, in 2020 there were already 13 couples who chose to do the same.
