Slovenians voted on November 23, 2025, to block the country’s assisted-dying law, with 53% supporting suspension and 47% opposing it. The referendum, launched by the Catholic Church-backed conservative group Voice for the Children and the Family, cleared the turnout threshold and forces a minimum one-year freeze on the legislation.
The law, passed in July by the center-left parliament, would have allowed terminally ill adults to request lethal medication. Pro-life campaigners, led by activist Ales Primc, celebrated the result as a victory for human dignity and the “culture of life,” halting state-sanctioned killing.The outcome is a major defeat for Prime Minister Robert Golob’s government and stops Slovenia from joining the small group of European nations permitting assisted dying.
Parliament cannot revisit the issue until late 2026 at the earliest, strengthening conservative and Catholic influence in the traditionally religious country.The successful citizen-led blockade marks a rare reversal of euthanasia legalization in Europe and emboldens opponents who warn of a slippery slope toward broader killing of the vulnerable.
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