On July 18, Slovenia legalized assisted suicide by a margin of 50 votes to 34, with three abstentions. In 2024, a more sweeping euthanasia bill had failed in parliament, and 55 percent of Slovenians subsequently voted in favor of assisted suicide in a national referendum that saw suicide activists unleash a wave of propaganda. The result, although considered a victory for the left-wing coalition government, was so unenthusiastic that they mitigated their plans and tabled legislation that proposed assisted suicide rather than euthanasia.
The bill passed on July 18 legalizes assisted suicide with a number of “safeguards” (although, as Canada and other nations reveal, these cautionary measures inevitably prove flimsy). The patient must ask for death and carry out the suicide him or herself, with medical staff present, and is eligible if suffering from an incurable disease or enduring “unbearable suffering.” Two doctors must grant approval.
These conditions, as we have seen, are considered by suicide activists to be a starting point rather than an end goal and can be extrapolated to cover a wide range of conditions. In Canada, the government swiftly expanded the original euthanasia legislation on the grounds that those suffering from disability and mental illness can also, in some instances, be seen as suffering from incurable disease and enduring unbearable suffering. Slovenian human rights activists have already highlighted this fact.
Indeed, opposition to the assisted suicide in Slovenia has been galvanized rather than muted by the government’s move. The right-wing Slovenian Democratic Party stated that the law “opens the door to a culture of death, the loss of human dignity, and the minimization of the value of life, in particular of the most vulnerable.” The national Commission for Medical Ethics stated that its remain opposed to the legislation. And a campaign has already begun to repeal it.
Slovenia’s upper house, the State Council, vetoed the assisted suicide bill on July 22, citing ethical, legal, and philosophical concerns; the Slovenian Constitution, in Article 17, unambiguously states that: “Human life is inviolable.” The State Council, made up of representatives from various sectors of Slovenian society, voted for veto by a margin of 20 votes to nine, and sent it back to parliament for reconsideration.
On July 24, the National Assembly overrode the veto. Human rights activists were prepared for this eventuality. On Friday, July 25, 15,000 signatures were submitted to start the process for an official national referendum to repeal the legislation; the threshold to begin the process is 2,500 signatures. The first step is to collect 40,000 verified signatures in two months, and the campaign is well under way.
According to the Slovenia Times: “A conservative action group led by an activist best known as a staunch opponent of abortion has already announced it will challenge the legislation in parliament. Each patient has the right to treatment, pain relief, care, compassion and closeness. The law on assisted dying contradicts that and forces the patient to die by poisoning, said activist Aleš Primc, who heads the group called Against the Poisoning of Patients.”
As journalist Nejc Povirk stated: “There is also the possibility of a constitutional review, since the Slovenian Constitution states that human life is inviolable, implying that an amendment might be necessary to fully permit this law. Experience from the consultative referendum has shown that increased public discussion tends to increase opposition.”
“Many people recognize that behind the proclaimed “compassion” for suffering lie elements of ableism and ageism,” he continued, “the idea that some lives are less worthy, or that certain individuals are no longer deserving of help to continue living.”
The fight against assisted suicide is just beginning in Slovenia. The lives of the vulnerable are, as always, at stake.
