Slovenian voters have rejected a law aimed at legalizing assisted dying for terminally ill patients.
Preliminary results released by the election commission indicated that in the referendum held on Sunday, November 23, about 53% of voters opposed the bill while 46% supported it.
This outcome effectively halts the implementation of the law. The Slovenian parliament originally passed the law in July 2024, following a nonbinding referendum at the time that showed public support for the bill.
The new referendum was triggered after opponents collected over 40,000 signatures, demanding a new vote on the law.
“Compassion has won,” said Ales Primc, a leading figure in the anti-assisted dying movement, after the vote. “Slovenia has rejected the government’s medical, pension, and social reform plan based on death by poisoning.”
According to the law, terminally ill patients facing unbearable suffering or with no hope of recovery would have the right to choose assisted dying. They would be able to self-administer lethal drugs after obtaining approval from two doctors and undergoing a period of consultation. The law does not apply to patients with mental illnesses.
Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob had previously urged voters to support the legislation, believing that it would allow terminally ill patients to decide how and when to end their suffering.
“This is not a political issue; it is always about dignity, human rights, and personal choice,” Golob told the media after the vote.
Opponents of the law include conservative groups, some medical associations, and the Catholic Church. They argue that the law violates the Slovenian constitution and that the country should focus on providing better palliative care.
Before the vote, Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar emphasized the importance of citizen participation in referendums. According to data from the National Electoral Commission, around 41% of the 1.7 million eligible voters cast their ballots.
“As individuals, we have the right to express our views on an issue,” Musar said. “We should tell politicians what we think is right and what is wrong.”
At least nine European countries allow some form of assisted dying for terminally ill patients, including Austria, where the practice was legalized in 2022 after a ruling by the Constitutional Court.
According to the non-profit organization Campaign for Dignity in Dying, in countries like England, assisting a terminally ill patient in ending their life could still result in criminal charges.