Slovenia rejects law allowing assisted dying for terminally ill patients

Voters in Slovenia have rejected a bill that would have permitted terminally ill patients to request medical assistance to end their lives, according to a preliminary count released on election day. The tally shows roughly 53 percent opposed and 46 percent in favor, and authorities said turnout met the threshold required to make the referendum result binding.

The narrowly defeated measure was the product of months of public debate that drew sharp divisions across politics, medicine and civil society. Proponents argued the law would have given patients greater control over the timing and manner of their deaths, offering an option for those suffering from incurable and painful conditions. Opponents raised ethical and safety concerns, warning that legalizing assisted dying could pressure vulnerable people and complicate medical practice.

By rejecting the law, voters keep the current legal framework in place, which does not allow doctors to deliberately end a patient s life at the patient s request. The result halts a major change in Slovenia s end of life legislation for now, and ensures that any future attempt to pass similar measures will face the same political hurdles and public scrutiny.

The referendum outcome has immediate policy implications. Health care providers who had been preparing protocols and training for a regulated assisted dying process will now continue to operate under existing rules. Advocates for palliative care said the debate underscored longstanding concerns about access to pain management and supportive services for patients with terminal illnesses, while critics of the proposal argued that the vote affirmed cultural and ethical reservations about state sanctioned assisted dying.

The vote also carries political consequences. Lawmakers who sponsored the legislation now face pressure to explain the next steps, and political leaders may use the result to shape broader campaign platforms on health and social policy. For parties that backed the measure, the loss could prompt reassessment of strategy or a push to address public concerns through tougher safeguards or parallel investments in palliative care. For opponents, the referendum will be presented as validation of their stance.

Observers say the referendum reflects a wider European conversation about autonomy, dignity and the role of medicine at the end of life. Several countries in the region have moved in different directions on assisted dying and euthanasia, leaving Slovenia s vote as the latest example of how these ethical and legal questions are decided at the ballot box as much as in parliaments and courts.

Officials cautioned that the results remain preliminary until final counts and certification are completed, but the margin and the valid turnout mean the outcome is unlikely to change. With public opinion split and many of the underlying issues unresolved, the debate over how best to care for people at the end of life in Slovenia is likely to continue in the months and years ahead.