Reflecting 55% Support in National Referendum
Assisted Dying Not Permitted for Mental Illness
Opposition Voices Concerns Over Disregard for Vulnerable Groups
As Switzerland leads the way, a growing number of European countries are legalizing assisted dying, with Slovenia becoming the first Eastern European nation to enact such legislation.
On July 18 (local time), the Slovenian National Assembly passed the bill permitting assisted dying with 50 votes in favor, 34 against, and 3 abstentions, according to reports by AP and Euronews.
The legislation requires approval from two independent physicians and guarantees the patient's right to withdraw consent. Assisted dying is only permitted after all treatment options have been exhausted.
Additionally, the bill allows terminally ill patients who are conscious and experiencing unbearable pain with no prospect of recovery to end their lives with medical assistance. However, suffering caused by mental illness is excluded from eligibility.
The law is expected to take effect within a few weeks. Patients must obtain the consent of two independent physicians and are granted the right to withdraw their request. The procedure is designed to allow patients to change their minds up until the moment immediately before the medication is administered.
This legislative move reflects the results of last year's national referendum, in which 55% of voters supported the measure. Tereza Novak, a member of the ruling Freedom Movement party, stated, "The choice of assisted dying is not a failure of medicine, but the patient's final right." In contrast, the conservative opposition Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) criticized the law, arguing that it could lead to disregard for the lives of society's most vulnerable.
With this decision, Slovenia joins Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg among European countries permitting assisted dying. The practice was first legalized in Switzerland (1942), followed by the Netherlands and Belgium (2002), Luxembourg (2009), Spain (2021), Austria (2022), and Portugal (2023), primarily in Western Europe. It is also allowed in Australia, Canada, and several U.S. states. Recently, the United Kingdom and France have passed similar bills in their lower houses, with review pending in the upper chambers. Switzerland is particularly known for "suicide tourism" for foreigners.
Unlike the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, assisted dying is classified as "active euthanasia," in which a physician provides medication at the patient's request. It remains one of the most hotly debated ethical issues in the international community.
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