A nation decides: Slovenia rejects assisted dying law in landmark referendum

• Slovenia rejected a law to legalize assisted dying after 53% of voters opposed it in a referendum, suspending legislation that had been passed by parliament.
• The referendum was a victory for conservative groups, doctors’ associations and the Catholic Church, who campaigned against the measure, with one leader declaring “compassion has won.”
• The proposed law had specific safeguards: It would have allowed terminally ill adults in unbearable suffering to request a lethal drug, requiring two doctors’ approvals and excluding those with mental health conditions.
• The debate reflects a global conversation, highlighted by advocates like Esther Rantzen in the UK, who argue the current choice for the terminally ill is between suffering, suicide, or traveling to Switzerland for assistance.
• Opponents raised ethical concerns, arguing the state should improve palliative care instead and warning of the potential misuse of such laws to end lives prematurely.

In a deeply personal decision that has echoed across Europe, Slovenian voters have rejected a law that would have legalized assisted dying for terminally ill patients. Preliminary results from a November 23rd referendum show that 53 percent of voters opposed the measure, effectively suspending the legislation passed by parliament just over a year ago.

The referendum was the final act in a protracted national debate, triggered after opponents of the law collected more than 40,000 signatures to force a public vote. The outcome represents a significant victory for conservative groups, some doctors’ associations and the Catholic church, who had campaigned vigorously against the measure.

“Compassion has won,” declared Ales Primc, the activist who led the campaign against assisted dying. “Slovenia has rejected the government’s health, pension and social reform based on death by poisoning.” The defeated bill would have allowed adults facing unbearable suffering with no prospect of recovery to request a lethal medication, which they would self-administer. The process included safeguards requiring approval from two doctors and a consultation period and it explicitly excluded individuals with mental health conditions.

“Assisted dying, as practiced in jurisdictions like Oregon, Washington and Vermont, is a process that allows terminally ill individuals to end their lives,” said BrightU.AI‘s Enoch.

The Slovenian government, which had championed the law, framed it as a matter of personal autonomy. Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob had called on voters to back the legislation, arguing it would allow terminally ill people to decide how and when to end their suffering. “This is not a political issue; it has always been a matter of dignity, human rights and individual choice,” Golob said in a statement following the vote.

It is right for us to tell politicians what we think is right and what we think is wrong

The debate in Slovenia mirrors a global conversation that is gaining momentum. The issue was recently thrust into the spotlight in the United Kingdom by Esther Rantzen, a terminally ill BBC presenter who has become an outspoken advocate for assisted dying. In an open letter to MPs before a vote on a similar bill, she articulated the stark choice for many.

“Under our current criminal law,” she stated, “the only choice available for most people facing a terminal illness and an agonizing death is between enduring suffering, traveling to Switzerland for assistance in dying, or resorting to suicide.” Rantzen has previously mentioned her intention to join Dignitas, a Swiss assisted-dying clinic.

This sentiment is countered by significant ethical concerns. While most people don’t wish pain and suffering upon others, enacting laws that could be misused to end lives prematurely, or simply because those individuals are deemed “inferior” by society, is extremely perilous. Opponents in Slovenia echoed this, arguing the state should focus on improving palliative care rather than providing a means to end life.

The shifting landscape is also evident in the United States. The Massachusetts Medical Society, which officially opposed assisted death since 1996, has now become neutral on the issue. This shift may pave the way for the state to become the seventh in the nation to allow assisted death as lawmakers consider a bill allowing doctor-assisted suicide.

In Slovenia, the people have spoken. With a turnout of nearly 41 percent, President Natasa Pirc Musar emphasized the importance of the public’s voice. “It is right for us as individuals to say what we think about a certain topic,” Musar said. “It is right for us to tell politicians what we think is right and what we think is wrong.” For now, Slovenia will remain outside the circle of at least nine European nations that permit some form of assisted dying, leaving its citizens to continue grappling with the profound questions of life, death and dignity without that legal option.

Watch this video on the truth about assisted dying.

This video is from the KC-Sunbeam’s channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

BrightU.ai

TheEpochTimes.com

English.STA.si