Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
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| Slovenian rally against euthanasia. |
The Slovenian referendum campaign to prevent the implementation of the Slovenian euthanasia law won by a vote of 53 to47.
Slovenia passed a euthanasia law earlier this year. In response a citizens group called Voice for the Children and the Family organized a signature campaign and collected 46,000 signatures to challenge the euthanasia law through a referendum.
The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition congratulates everyone who was successfully worked on the referendum campaign and we are thankful that we could be intimately involved by sharing articles, interviews and video footage with the campaign.
The 53% to 47% victory overturns the euthanasia law and once again protects Slovenians from being killed by poison. Bojan Kavcic reported for the Citizen Tribune that:
The referendum result means that the government cannot introduce another euthanasia bill for at least 12 months.
The 53% to 47% victory overturns the euthanasia law and once again protects Slovenians from being killed by poison. Bojan Kavcic reported for the Citizen Tribune that:
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.The referendum required at least 20% of the 1.7 million eligible voters to support the referendum. Kavcic reported that the voter turnout was 40.9% meaning that the referendum validly rejected the Slovenian euthanasia law.
"Slovenia rejected the government's health, pension and social reforms based on death and poisoning," Primc was cited as saying by the Slovenian news agency STA.
The referendum result means that the government cannot introduce another euthanasia bill for at least 12 months.
Slovenia showed us how a organized and focussed campaign can be successful even when facing a massive campaign with incredible funding from pro-euthanasia groups.
In January 2024 I had the opportunity to speak in Slovenia and counter the pro-euthanasia rhetoric that they were facing. At that time I met with politicians, several media outlets, including television news interview shows and spoke to a large audience in Ljubljana, Slovenia's capital to oppose the Slovenian euthanasia bill, which was very similar to Canada's euthanasia law.
Today, I am incredibly thankful. Lives will be saved and people will be protected in Slovenia.
Thank you Ales and the campaign team who enabled us to help make a difference and prevent a law that gave Slovenian doctors the right to poison their citizens to death. You have shown us the way.
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