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| Rutte concerned about ethical issues |
3/1/2007 |
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AMSTERDAM - Liberal VVD faction leader Mark Rutte thinks that the Christian democrat CDA and Labour PvdA have conceded too much to the ChristenUnie on so-called medical ethical issues in the coalition accord.
The leader of the Liberal party will level this criticism on Thursday during the parliamentary debate on the government statement by submitting a motion on abortion and a second motion on euthanasia.
Rutte says the new government puts too much emphasis on palliative care in the stance it has now taken on euthanasia. He fears that the government will try to somehow make palliative care into an full-fledged alternative that will make euthanasia superfluous. Rutte thinks euthanasia should remain an "independent alternative" in situations of unbearable and untreatable suffering.
Rutte also pointed out that the coalition wants to urge pregnant women to consider adoption as an alternative for abortion.
The government plans to conduct a study into the psycho-social effects of abortion, but adoption can also have negative effects on both mother and child, Rutte says. He wants to get a motion passed asking the government to first conduct an investigation into the effects of adoption on children and parents.
Rutte came earlier with criticism on the government for what he says is too weak an immigration policy. Moreover he says that middle incomes will suffer under the financial economic policy.
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