The former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Dries van Agt, and his wife Eugenie have passed away through legal euthanasia. They both were 93 years old and made this decision amidst declining health. This event took place in Nijmegen, the city where van Agt was born, as reported by The Rights Forum, an organization he established. Van Agt led the country from 1977 to 1982 and was notably the inaugural leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal party.
The organization shared, “With the family’s agreement, we share the news of our founder and honorary chairman Dries van Agt’s departure on February 5, in his birthplace, Nijmegen.”
The statement highlighted the couple’s profound bond, noting, “He departed this life alongside his cherished wife Eugenie van Agt-Krekelberg. They had been inseparable for over seventy years, and he affectionately called her ‘my girl.'”
The announcement also revealed that van Agt had a brain hemorrhage in 2019 from which he never fully recovered. Gerad Jonkman, the director of the non-profit, mentioned that both were significantly unwell but could not bear the thought of living without each other, leading to their choice of euthanasia, as mentioned in The Guardian.
Their decision is part of a notable trend in the Netherlands known as “duo euthanasia,” where two individuals choose to receive euthanasia together. In 2022, 29 couples made this choice, an increase from previous years. The process for couples requesting assisted suicide involves rigorous individual assessments to meet the country’s strict criteria for euthanasia.
Elke Swart, a spokesperson for the Expertisecentrum Euthanasie, which fulfills around 1,000 euthanasia requests annually in the Netherlands, commented on the rarity and growing interest in couples opting for euthanasia together. She pointed out the exceptional circumstances where both partners simultaneously meet the criteria for euthanasia due to unbearable suffering with no hope for relief and a longstanding, independent desire for death.
Since 2002, euthanasia has been a legal option in the Netherlands for individuals facing six specific conditions, emphasizing the necessity of suffering that cannot be alleviated, alongside a persistent and voluntary wish to end one’s life.
