Luxembourg Becomes Third EU Country to Legalize Euthanasia

On March 17, Luxembourg became the third European country to legalize euthanasia after the Netherlands and Belgium, as a new law went into force. The law was the source of great controversy in the tiny country where the head of state, deeply catholic Grand Duke Henri, refused to sign off on the bill, triggering a constitutional crisis. To get around his refusal and avoid such problems in the future, Luxembourg's parliament voted for legislation to give the monarch a purely ceremonial role. Luxembourg legalizes euthanasia