Slovenia’s parliament passed a law permitting assisted dying in July 2024, following public support for the measure in a referendum. However, a recent referendum held on November 23, 2025, resulted in a rejection of the law, with approximately 53 percent of the 1.7 million eligible voters opposing it. The preliminary results indicate that the law’s implementation will now be postponed for at least one year.
The law would have allowed terminally ill patients to seek assistance in ending their lives under specific circumstances, such as when suffering was deemed unbearable and all treatment options had been exhausted. It would also have permitted assisted dying when treatment offers presented no reasonable chance of recovery or improvement, excluding mental illness as a qualifying condition for assistance.
The new referendum was initiated by a civil group supported by the Catholic Church and conservative opposition, which collected over 40,000 signatures to call for the vote. Ales Primc, head of the advocacy group Voice for the Children and the Family, remarked on the outcome, suggesting that it reflected a broader societal sentiment about valuing life.
Prime Minister Robert Golob had previously advocated for the law, highlighting the importance of personal choice and dignity in end-of-life decisions. In contrast, the Catholic Church criticized the law, claiming it undermined key moral principles.
Turnout for the referendum was reported at 40.9 percent, sufficient to meet the required threshold for the vote. While several European nations, such as Belgium and the Netherlands, have legalized assisted dying for terminally ill patients, others maintain prohibitions, even in cases of severe suffering.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/23/slovenia-referendum-rejects-assisted-dying-law-for-terminally-ill-adults?traffic_source=rss