Slovenian Voters Reject Euthanasia Law in National Referendum

Voting at a polling station during Slovenia’s euthanasia referendum. Photo: AP/Darko Bandic

LJUBLJANA — Slovenia rejected a law to legalize euthanasia in a nationwide referendum on Nov. 23, 2025, halting a measure that Parliament had approved earlier this year. According to partial results, 53% of voters opposed the legislation, while 47% supported it, automatically suspending the act for at least 12 months.

As reported by UOJ-Ukraine with reference to the Associated Press, the proposed law would have allowed mentally competent, terminally ill patients or those suffering unbearable pain to choose assisted suicide. Under the measure, individuals would self-administer lethal medication after approval from two physicians and a mandatory consultation period.

The vote followed an intense public campaign led by citizen groups and supported by the Catholic Church, which collected more than 40,000 signatures to force the referendum. Slovenia had been expected to join European countries such as Switzerland and Austria that permit "medical assistance in dying."

In a similar referendum in 2024, 55% of Slovenians backed legalizing euthanasia, a result that paved the way for the law’s adoption in July. This year’s reversal underscores shifting public sentiment and ensures that the policy will remain on hold for at least another year.

Previously, UOJ reported that

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