Slovenia Holds Referendum on Assisted Dying

Slovenians voted on Sunday in a binding referendum on a parliamentary law that would legalize assisted dying for terminally ill adults, marking a pivotal moment in the small European Union nation's debate over end-of-life choices.

The referendum, held in Ljubljana and across the country, addresses legislation passed by parliament in July after a nonbinding public vote the previous year supported the measure. Opponents, including a citizens' initiative led by right-wing politician Ales Primc and the group Voice for the Children and the Family, gathered more than 40,000 signatures to trigger the ballot. The law would grant mentally competent adults facing unbearable suffering from terminal illnesses, with no remaining treatment options, the right to self-administer lethal medication. It requires approvals from two doctors, consultation periods and excludes those with mental illnesses.

For the law to be rejected, a majority of participating voters must oppose it, and those voters must represent at least 20 percent of the nation's 1.7 million eligible electorate. Recent polls indicate majority support, with about 54 percent of respondents favoring legalization, 31 percent opposing...