The number of signatures exceeds the minimum number of required signatures, 500,000. According to the Italian newspaper la Republicca, over 500,000 signatures were collected on the streets of Italy, were as 250,000 signatures were gathered online. Among the signers of the initiative was the famous Italian writer Roberto Saviano.

“I signed because today, without a law that regulates it, euthanasia is not a right accessible to everyone. I signed so that even those who cannot afford to reach countries where euthanasia is legal are free to choose. to promote this referendum, whatever you think of it, it is an act of respect for life and for others”, said the 41-year old writer, who is famous for his reporting on the Italian organised crime.

Vincenzo Paglia, an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church, condemned the signature-gathering strongly: “There is the temptation of a new form of eugenics: those who are not born healthy must not be born. And together with this, there is a new health concept for which those who are born and are not healthy must die. It is euthanasia. This is a dangerous insinuation that poisons the culture”, he said to Vatican News. Paglia is also President of the Pontifical Academy for Life, dedicated to promoting the Church’s consistent life ethic.

Although the objective of 500.000 signatures is achieved, the people behind the initiative, the Luca Coscioni Association for the freedom of scientific research, are not planning on stopping gathering signatures any time soon; people can sign the request until the end of September. In this way, possible objections to the result of the signature-gathering should be invalidated. “I am confident that we will exceed one million signatures”, said Filomena Gallo, secretary of the Association.

Embryonic

The Luca Coscioni Association is named after Luca Coscioni, an Italian politician who fought for the freedom of scientific research, particularly research on embryonic stem cells. Coscioni died in 2006, aged 38. The neurodegenerative disease ALS claimed his life.

In 2005, the Association launched a campaign to abrogate an Italian law that imposed a ban on assisted fertilisation and research on embryonic stem cells by collecting the signatures of over a million voters. Although the referendum query obtained a majority of votes, it was cancelled for not getting the required quorum pursuant to the pro-abstention campaign promoted by the Italian Catholic Church and many political parties.

In Italy, euthanasia is forbidden by law. In 2019, however, the Supreme Court ruled that assisted suicide is allowed under certain circumstances. For example, there must be unacceptable suffering, the injury must be irreparable, and the patient must be able to make decisions for himself.