Slovenia – Slovenian voters rejected a new law allowing assisted dying. Approximately 53% voted against the law in a referendum held on November 23, 2025. Around 47% of those who participated supported the law. Voter turnout was approximately 40.9% of the 1.7 million eligible voters.
This rejection is binding and suspends the law’s implementation for at least one year. This prevents Parliament from reconsidering similar legislation during this period. The proposed law would have permitted euthanasia for adults suffering from terminal illnesses or irreversible suffering. The law’s conditions included the consent of two doctors, a period of pacing, and the exclusion of mental health conditions.
This referendum follows a series of events that began with a non-binding advisory referendum in 2024. This was followed by Parliament’s approval of the bill in July 2025 by a vote of 50 to 34. Conservative activists, supported by the Catholic Church, the opposition, and some medical groups, then gathered more than 46,000 signatures to force a binding referendum.
This decision reflects deep divisions in Slovenian society, where Catholicism makes up about 58% of the population. Supporters lamented the delay in addressing “unjustified suffering,” while opponents described the decision as “a victory for the culture of life.”
With this rejection, Slovenia joins other European countries that oppose euthanasia, such as Italy and Poland. Meanwhile, countries like Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, and Canada continue to permit it in various ways.
