Logo of the Glas za otroke in družine (Voice for Children and Families) party that led the campaign agains the law legalizing assisted dying in Slovenia.
By glaszaotrokeindruzine.si, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75366886
The Electoral Commission of Slovenia said on Sunday night, based on the nearly complete count of votes, that 53% of citizens who took part in the referendum voted against the law that would allow physisician-assisted death for terminally ill patients. 46% were in favour of the law that was passed earlier this year. The no-votes also represented more than 20% of 1.7 million eligible voters in Slovenia, a requirement for the referendum to be valid.
Turnout was nearly 41%, the State Electoral Commission said.
The country’s parliament voted to legalize assisted dying in July, after voters in a non-bindng referendum had backed it last year. But a civil society group, in alliance with the Slovenian opposition and the Catholic Church managed to force another referendum on the issue after collecting 40,000 signatures.
“Compassion has won,” declared Aleš Primc, conservative activist, leader of the Glas za otroke in družine (Voice for Children and Families) party who led the campaign against the legalization of assisted dying. Primc declared
Slovenia has rejected the government’s health, pension and social reform based on death by poisoning.
