Slovenians on Sunday voted to suspend a new law to legalise assisted dying in a referendum held after critics mounted a campaign against the legislation.
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Around 53 per cent of voters had rejected the law, while 47 per cent voted in favour, meaning its implementation will be suspended for at least one year.
Slovenia’s parliament had approved a law in July allowing assisted dying after a 2024 referendum supported it.
But the new vote was called after a civil group, backed by the Catholic Church and the conservative parliamentary opposition, gathered 46,000 signatures in favour of a repeat, exceeding the 40,000 required.
The result means parliament cannot vote again on a bill that deals with the same issue over the next 12 months.
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Ales Primc, the head of Voice for the Children and the Family, the NGO that organised the no vote campaign, reacted to the results saying “solidarity and justice” had won.