🔗 Share this article

Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

The Baltic nation's lawmakers have decided to pull out from an international accord designed to protect females from violence, covering family violence, following prolonged and intense discussions in the legislature.

Several thousand of demonstrators gathered in the capital this past week to voice disagreement with the vote. The ultimate decision now rests with President Edgars Rinkevics, who must determine whether to approve or veto the proposed law.

Referred to as the Istanbul Convention, the 2011 agreement only became active in the Baltic state last year, requiring governments to establish legal frameworks and support services to end all forms of violence.

Latvia has become the first European Union member to initiate the procedure of withdrawing from the treaty. Turkey pulled out in two years ago, a move that human rights organizations described as a significant regression for gender equality.

Political Debate and Opposition

The treaty was approved by the EU in last year, yet traditionalist groups have argued that its emphasis on equal rights weakens family values and promotes what they term "gender ideology".

Following a lengthy debate in the Saeima, MPs voted 56 to 32 to exit from the convention, a action proposed by opposition parties but supported by politicians from one of the three governing partners.

The result represents a defeat for moderate conservative government leader the nation's PM, who joined demonstrators outside parliament earlier this seven-day period. "We will not surrender, we will continue fighting so that abuse does not triumph," she declared to the crowd.

Political Disagreements and Reactions

One of the primary political groups supporting the withdrawal is a nationalist party, whose head has urged the public to choose between what he terms a "natural family" and "gender ideology with multiple sexes".

The nation's human rights commissioner the rights official urged the treaty not to be politicized, while the organization Equality Now asserted it was "not a danger to national principles, it was an instrument to realize them".

The Thursday's vote has sparked broad outcry both within Latvia and internationally.

22,000 people have signed a Latvian petition calling for the convention to be maintained. The gender equality group the rights center has announced a protest for next Thursday, charging lawmakers of ignoring the wishes of the nation's citizens.

International Concerns and Possible Next Steps

The head of the Council of Europe's legislative body commented that Latvia had made a hasty decision driven by false information. He characterized it as an "unprecedented and deeply concerning regression for female equality and fundamental freedoms in Europe".

He added that since the transcontinental nation abandoned the treaty in 2021, cases of femicide and violence against women had risen sharply.

Because the vote did not secure a supermajority majority, the president could potentially return the legislation for further consideration if he has objections.

President the national leader stated on social media that he would assess the vote according to constitutional requirements, "taking into account state and legal factors, rather than ideological or political viewpoints".

Recently, another component of the ruling coalition, the reformist party, suggested it would not rule out petitioning to the supreme judicial body.

"This decision represents a concerning development for gender equality not only in our nation but throughout Europe," commented a rights advocate.

• Family violence statistics have been increasing in multiple EU nations
• The European treaty requires particular legal protections for survivors of gender-based violence
• Latvia's vote could influence similar discussions in additional EU countries