Passed Parliament, but Slovenia’s ‘Assisted Dying Legalization’ Rejected in National Referendum

No Revote Allowed for the Next Year

Referendum on the Assisted Dying Allowance Bill Held in Slovenia. Radio SI.

The Assisted Dying Allowance Bill, which had previously passed the parliamentary threshold in Slovenia, was halted by a national referendum.

According to AFP on November 24 (local time), Slovenia's National Electoral Commission announced that the results of the referendum held the previous day on the legalization of assisted dying were 47% in favor and 53% against, resulting in the bill’s rejection.

The bill was centered on allowing terminally ill patients who are conscious, have no prospect of recovery, or are suffering unbearable pain to end their own lives through the administration of medication or similar means. Although it passed parliament in July, fierce opposition from Catholic and conservative civic groups led to the national referendum.

The voter turnout was 41%, exceeding the 40% threshold required for the referendum to be valid. The commission also explained that more than 20% of all 170 eligible voters cast a vote against the bill, thereby meeting the requirement for rejection.

As a result of the referendum, the Slovenian parliament is now barred from holding another vote on this bill for the next year.

Ales Primc, head of the non-governmental organization "Voice for Children and Families," which led the campaign against the bill, celebrated the outcome, stating, "Solidarity and justice have prevailed. Slovenia has rejected government reforms in healthcare, pensions, and social policy that are based on death and poison."

Supporters of assisted dying expressed disappointment but predicted that the bill would eventually pass in the future. Prime Minister Robert Golob emphasized that although the bill was rejected, the challenges remain, saying, "This is not a political issue, but a matter of human dignity, human rights, and individual choice."

Currently in Europe, assisted dying is permitted in Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Austria. Some states in the United States also allow assisted dying, and both the French and British parliaments continue to debate the issue.