The Meloni government, civil rights, and end-of-life issues: legal, ethical, and political perspectives

Abstract

This article examines the Meloni Government’s approach to civil rights from the perspective of end-of-life issues. It reconstructs the legal framework shaped by the Italian Constitutional Court’s jurisprudence, from Order No. 207 of 2018 to Judgement No. 204 of 2025, which progressively clarified the conditions under which medically assisted suicide may be exempt from criminal liability. The article analyses the consequences of the continuing absence of comprehensive national legislation, highlighting procedural uncertainties, uneven implementation, and the medico-legal challenges faced by healthcare institutions. It then explores the major developments of 2025. On the one hand, it discusses the Constitutional Court’s declaration of unconstitutionality regarding several provisions of Tuscany Regional Law No. 16/2025, enacted to implement the Court’s 2019 ruling on medically assisted suicide. On the other hand, it examines the government bill currently before the Senate, emphasizing both its departure from the Constitutional Court’s jurisprudence and its restrictive approach to end-of-life decisionmaking. The Government’s stance on end-of-life issues is subsequently situated within a broader framework of civil rights policies. The chapter concludes by examining the resurgence of the sanctityof- life principle and its implications for patient autonomy and individual self-determination in end-of-life choices.