A referendum motion backed by the government will determine whether Slovenian voters are in favour of right to assisted dying. Surveys show that a majority of voters are in favour of a bill. A Slovenian public opinion poll found that 63.5% of respondents were in favour of euthanasia and 17.4% found it unacceptable.
Meanwhile, conservative parties and doctors are opposed. MPs voted 64;9 against a bill submitted by Silver Thread, Slovenia’s right to die society in July which sought making assisted dying available to terminally ill patients after all other options had been exhausted. While coalition parties generally support making assisted dying available, they would seem to prefer leaving the decision up to a referendum.
Doctors are especially against the right to die, pointing to the access to palliative care. However, despite the availability of palliative care, accessibility and inadequacy are issues.
Read more: The Slovenia Times