Love Beyond Life: Former Dutch Prime Minister And Wife Choose 'Duo Euthanasia' To End Lives Together At 93

Former Dutch Prime Minister Dries van Agt and his wife, Eugenie van Agt-Krekelberg, passed away together through euthanasia, a method of assisted dying, at the age of 93.

What Happened: The couple, who had been married for over 70 years, chose to end their lives together. This decision was part of a growing trend of “duo euthanasia” in the Netherlands, reported HuffPost on Tuesday.

Van Agt, a member of the Christian Democratic Appeal, served as the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1977 to 1982. He later became more progressive and left his political party in 2017 due to differences in views on Israel and Palestine.

The Rights Forum, a pro-Palestinian group founded by van Agt in 2009, confirmed the couple’s passing in a statement. They had three children.

Assisted dying and euthanasia were legalized in the Netherlands in 2002. In 2022, over 8,700 individuals chose euthanasia or assisted suicide, with 29 couples (58 individuals) opting for duo euthanasia. This number has been increasing, with 13 couples (26 individuals) choosing duo euthanasia in 2020.

Why It Matters: Euthanasia is a highly debated topic globally, with various countries having different laws and regulations regarding the practice. The Netherlands is one of the few countries where euthanasia is legal, and the recent increase in duo euthanasia cases is a significant development.

Image by Veer0318 via Wikimedia Commons

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