Overview
- Voters are deciding whether to enforce or suspend a July law passed after a 2024 consultative referendum backed the right to assisted dying.
- The measure allows mentally competent, terminally ill patients to seek help to end their lives when pain is unbearable and treatments are exhausted, excludes requests based solely on mental illness, and requires approvals from two doctors with a consultation period and self-administered medication.
- The new vote was triggered by Voice for the Children and the Family, supported by the Catholic Church and conservative opposition, which submitted 46,000 signatures, surpassing the 40,000 needed.
- Prime Minister Robert Golob urges support for personal choice, while opponents including conservative groups and some doctors object; a Dnevnik poll shows about 54% in favor, 31% against, and 15% undecided.
- Polling stations are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time with first partial results expected late Sunday, and a rejection would prevent parliament from revisiting the issue for 12 months.