In the 100-person, unicameral parliament, 56 deputies voted “for”, 32 “against” and 2 abstained. The bill on Latvia's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention was submitted by the opposition conservative party Latvia First (LPV), and was supported not only by other opposition groups (National Alliance, United List and the For Stability!) party, but also by deputies of the coalition Union of Greens and Peasants. MPs from other parties in Prime Minister Evika Silina's center-left coalition (New Unity and Progressives) voted against.
As reported by the LETA agency, the debate on this topic lasted 13 hours. The case sparked protests by residents in Latvia. “Latvia is not Russia; Love, don't hit,” was chanted during the largest demonstration in Riga in several years, attended by approximately five thousand people. LTV reported that so far only Türkiye, which is not an EU member state, has withdrawn from the convention.
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How long did the debate in parliament last before the decision to denounce the convention?
How many MPs voted to denounce the convention?
Which parties supported the request to terminate the convention?
What rights does the President of Latvia have regarding the law on denunciation of the convention?
Latvia ratified the convention in 2023, and the document entered into force on May 1 last year. According to the national conservative opposition, the Latvian Ministry of Social Welfare used the provisions of the convention, among others. to “popularize a different understanding of gender and promote gender ideology.”
Latvia denounces the Istanbul Convention
For the law on withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention to enter into force, it must be signed by President Edgars Rinkeviczs, who has ten days to do so. The head of state also has the right to refer the document for reconsideration in parliament. At the request of a group of deputies, he also has the right to suspend the publication of an act. So far, Rinkeviczs has not revealed his intentions in this matter.
Latvia is the first European Union country to decide to terminate the document. The Istanbul Convention of 11 May 2011 is an international agreement that aims to protect against violence, prosecute perpetrators and support victims of domestic violence, especially against women. Conservative circles accuse that the document “serves to promote gender ideology.” By 2020, over 40 countries had signed the convention. Turkey was the first country to join it in March 2012, but by decree of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ankara withdrew from the group of signatories, which was met with criticism and disappointment from the EU authorities.
