Slovenian voters rejected the Law on Assisted Voluntary Ending of Life - Euthanasia - in a referendum today, as more than 53 percent of citizens voted against it, and the requirement that at least one-fifth of those registered on the electoral roll were against it was met.
According to data from the State Election Commission (DVK), after 99,47 percent of votes were processed, 40,86 percent of registered voters exercised their right to vote in the legislative referendum, of which 53,40 percent (366.593 votes) were against, and 46,60 percent were in favor of implementing the law.
In order to reject the law adopted on July 24th of this year, it was necessary for a majority of those who voted in the referendum to vote against it, with the condition that one-fifth of all registered voters, which amounts to 339.205 votes, vote against it.
The law that was adopted this summer in the National Assembly was supposed to allow an adult patient, capable of making independent decisions about themselves, to voluntarily end their life if they are experiencing unbearable pain due to a serious incurable illness or other permanent health impairment.
The initiator of the referendum, Aleš Primc, pointed out that the result shows that in Slovenia "patients, disabled people and pensioners are respected."
"Compassion, justice and solidarity won in the referendum. Slovenia decided for life," Primc said, according to media reports.
The strongest opposition party, Janez Janša's Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), was in favor of rejecting the law, thus leading a successful campaign in a legislative referendum for the second time this year.
In May of this year, the Law on a Special Allowance for Artists was rejected in a referendum.
On the other hand, the Law on Assistance in Voluntary Ending of Life was supported by all members of the ruling coalition, led by the Freedom Movement.
Slovenia is set to hold regular parliamentary elections in the spring of 2026, while local elections are planned for the fall.
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