Italy's PM seeks law to keep comatose woman alive

This current event article occurring in Italy addresses the law of Euthanasia as well as the power of the government and Berlusconi's rule. Eluana Englaro, 38, is an Italian citizen who has remained in a comatose state for the past 17 years after a car crash. The issue at hand is that her father reports that she had wished to never live artificially. He has been fighting a high court battle for the past ten years to allow her to die and cease the feeding tube. However, Prime Minister Silvo Berlusconi is fighting to change the high court law and continue her artificial feeding. Berlusconi has the support of the Vatican in viewing discontinue feeding as a form of euthanasia which is illegal in Italy.
The controversy and relevance of this article to the study of how Italy as a nation is influenced by various governmental forms is quite interesting. Italy's president Giorgio Napolitano is getting vetoed by the dictation of Berlusconi. Berlusconi claims that she technically "could have a baby" so she is to continue living against her parents and her known wishes. This is a direct example of the power that Berlusconi not only holds over the government, but the power he has over the citizens of Italy. Putting his veto of this long-running law has been put on the fast track. His influence is not only viewed as superior but when he wants something to get done, it gets done fast.
In America we all have our own opinion on the subject of euthanasia, and though my opinion may side with Berlusconi or the Englaro family, the fact is that my opinion simply causes discussion. While this article demonstrates that Berlusconi's opinion causes immediate action to his satisfaction. He literally has the power to choose life or death.

Becca Hallac
Italy Group