A writer suffering from Parkinson’s disease has become the first individual in Italy to legally end his life through medically assisted suicide under a newly enacted regional law in Tuscany, according to the pro-euthanasia Luca Coscioni Association. Daniele Pieroni, who was diagnosed with the degenerative illness in 2008, passed away peacefully at his home on May 17, just three months after Tuscany introduced a groundbreaking law that simplifies the approval process for assisted suicide.

Landmark Death Follows New Tuscan Law

Pieroni’s medically assisted death was made possible through Tuscany’s regional legislation, which was introduced in February 2025. The law, adopted by the center-left regional government, was designed to fast-track assisted dying applications, significantly reducing the bureaucratic delays that have plagued the system since the Italian Constitutional Court’s 2019 ruling that permitted euthanasia under very specific conditions.

Under the new regional law, patients like Pieroni, who suffer from incurable illnesses and meet the required legal and medical criteria, can now receive a faster decision without enduring prolonged legal battles or extensive medical evaluations that previously took years.

The Luca Coscioni Association, which has long campaigned for euthanasia rights in Italy, confirmed that Pieroni’s life ended through the self-administration of a prescribed lethal drug. “The drug was prepared at his home, where Daniele took it himself in the presence of his family and a team of doctors,” the organization said in a statement.

A Long Journey With Parkinson’s

Born in 1961, Pieroni endured a long and debilitating fight with Parkinson’s disease. By the time of his death, his condition had severely deteriorated, leaving him dependent on a feeding tube for 21 hours each day. Despite the intensity of his suffering, Pieroni remained mentally competent and made the decision to end his life freely and with full awareness, meeting the conditions outlined by Italy’s top court for assisted suicide.

His death represents a significant moment for euthanasia advocates in Italy, where national laws remain vague and the process of obtaining approval for assisted dying is often prolonged and emotionally taxing for both patients and families.

The Legal Landscape of Assisted Suicide in Italy

Although euthanasia remains a highly contentious issue in Italy—a country with strong Catholic traditions and conservative values—the legal tide began to shift in 2019. That year, Italy’s Constitutional Court ruled that assisted suicide could be permitted in exceptional cases. Specifically, the court allowed it for patients enduring “intolerable” physical or psychological suffering, who were kept alive by life-support measures, and who retained full mental capacity to make informed choices.

However, the absence of national legislation meant that every case had to go through a cumbersome legal review, effectively making the court’s decision impractical for many. Patients frequently faced prolonged wait times, and some chose to travel abroad to countries like Switzerland to legally end their lives—a practice often referred to as “euthanasia tourism.”

To date, only eight people, including Pieroni, have managed to legally undergo assisted suicide in Italy since the 2019 ruling. The first was Federico Carboni, a 44-year-old man from the Marche region who suffered from quadriplegia. Carboni made history in June 2022 as the first Italian to die by medically assisted suicide following a grueling legal battle.

Political Opposition and Legal Challenges

The national political climate surrounding euthanasia remains fraught with tension. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her right-wing coalition have consistently opposed efforts to expand euthanasia rights. The government has launched a legal challenge against Tuscany’s new law, arguing that such a sensitive issue should be handled at the national level rather than through piecemeal regional legislation.

Nonetheless, any decision from the courts on the legality of the Tuscan law will arrive too late to impact Pieroni’s choice. His death has already become a symbol for those advocating for a more humane and streamlined process for medically assisted death across all of Italy’s 20 regions.

The Luca Coscioni Association continues to call on other regional governments to emulate Tuscany’s approach. “Too many people continue to suffer or are forced to emigrate to die with dignity,” the organization emphasized in its statement. “We urge all regions to take immediate action to uphold personal freedom and ensure that individuals’ end-of-life wishes are respected.”

Ethical and Religious Controversies Persist

Italy’s dominant Catholic Church and various conservative groups have condemned efforts to normalize euthanasia, arguing that it devalues human life and undermines the sanctity of suffering. The Vatican maintains a firm stance against any form of assisted suicide, and many religious leaders have urged legislators to focus on improving palliative care instead.

However, public sentiment in Italy appears to be gradually shifting. Multiple polls indicate growing support for the right to die, especially among younger generations. This evolving attitude may eventually place pressure on the national parliament to address the legal vacuum left by the 2019 Constitutional Court ruling.

A Personal and Political Milestone

Daniele Pieroni’s death not only brings closure to his personal suffering but also re-ignites the national conversation around assisted suicide and the dignity of choice in end-of-life care. For campaigners and families affected by terminal illnesses, his decision stands as both a milestone and a call to action.

As debate continues in courts, parliaments, and homes across Italy, Pieroni’s story will likely remain a pivotal example of how law, medicine, ethics, and individual agency converge in one of society’s most difficult moral questions.