Slovenia Votes Against Legalizing Assisted Death

Slovenia has taken a decisive stance on one of the country’s most debated ethical issues, rejecting a law that would have allowed terminally ill adults to end their lives. Preliminary results show 53% of voters opposed the legislation, halting its implementation for at least a year.

The vote, held on Sunday, saw 40.9% of the 1.7 million eligible voters turning out, just enough to meet the legal threshold for the referendum. This comes after Slovenia’s parliament had approved the law in July, anticipating public backing in a referendum scheduled for 2024.

The law aimed to grant terminally ill patients the right to assisted dying if their suffering was deemed unbearable and all treatment options had been exhausted. It also included provisions for patients whose treatments offered no realistic chance of recovery, though it excluded cases of mental illness alone.

A civil group, Voice for the Children and the Family, spearheaded the campaign to overturn the law. Backed by the Catholic Church and conservative parliamentary factions, the group collected over 40,000 signatures to force the repeat vote. Its head, Ales Primc, described the result as a victory for “solidarity and justice,” calling it a triumph of the “culture of life.”

Prime Minister Robert Golob had urged voters to support the law, emphasizing individual dignity and the right to choose how one ends their life. Opponents, particularly the Catholic Church, argued that assisted dying contradicts fundamental religious and moral principles.

Slovenia’s referendum places it among countries like Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, where assisted dying is legal under strict conditions. Yet, in many European nations, the practice remains illegal, even for terminally ill patients experiencing severe suffering.

The result reflects the delicate balance between personal autonomy, ethical concerns, and societal values, leaving Slovenia to reconsider its approach to end-of-life care and the ongoing global debate surrounding assisted dying.