US EditionSlovenians vote in a referendum on assisted dying for terminally ill patients
A binding referendum saw 53% of Slovenians reject assisted dying, surpassing the 20% voter opposition threshold required to block the law's enactment.
- On Sunday, Slovenian voters rejected in a binding referendum a law allowing terminally ill adults to end their lives, with unofficial partial results showing 53.43% opposed, the State election commission reported.
- Having passed in July, the law was put before voters after opponents led by Ales Primc and backed by Voice for the Children and the Family gathered 46,000 signatures, exceeding the 40,000 requirement.
- The law required medical approvals from two doctors, mandatory consultation and cooling-off periods, and excluded severe psychiatric and some neurodegenerative patients, allowing assisted dying only for mentally competent terminally ill patients.
- Because the no votes represented the required share, the referendum's 40.9 turnout meant the law is rejected and parliament cannot reintroduce it for 12 months.
- Opponents, including the Catholic Church, argued the law breaches the constitution and pushed for palliative care, while Prime Minister Robert Golob backed it, urging dignity in end-of-life decisions amid EU neighbours allowing assisted dying.
172 Articles
172 Articles
Slovenia referendum rejects contested assisted dying law
Slovenians on Sunday voted to suspend a new law to legalise assisted dying in a referendum held after critics mounted a campaign against the legislation.Around 53 percent of voters had rejected the law, while 47 percent voted in favour, meaning its implementation will be suspended for at least one year.Slovenia's parliament had approved a law...
Only in July the Slovenian parliament had passed the legalization of euthanasia. Now the Slovenians have decided against the law in a referendum - a triumph for the church and partly right-wing activists.
A narrow majority in Slovenia opposed a euthanasia law of the left-liberal government. Right-wing and conservative forces were pleased.
The Catholic Church and other opponents mobilized against the parliamentary vote. Around 53 per cent of the voters voted against a corresponding law, 47 per cent in favour
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