Latvia's parliament voted last night to withdraw the country from the international treaty aimed at combating violence against women, after a conservative partner in the ruling coalition opposed the government's official position, despite the opinion of the prime minister and president, Reuters reported.
The Istanbul Convention, adopted by the Council of Europe and signed by dozens of member states, defines violence against women as a human rights violation and addresses various forms of gender-based violence.
But opponents of the treaty in Latvia argue that it introduces a definition of gender that goes beyond biological sex and views it as a social construct. They point out that existing national laws are sufficient to address gender-based violence.
One of the three coalition partners - the Greens and Farmers Alliance - has opposed Prime Minister Evika Silinė's position and joined the opposition in supporting the withdrawal from the treaty, which was voted for by 56 MPs in the 100-seat parliament.
"This will not affect domestic violence in any way. Protection against domestic violence has existed in Latvian law even before the Istanbul Convention," Greens and Farmers Union MP Gunars Gutris told Reuters.
About 5,000 people protested in central Riga on Wednesday against the country's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention. Silinė addressed the crowd, expressing his support for Latvia to remain a party to the treaty.
"This will be a devastating blow to Latvia's position in the EU, as well as internationally," said Andris Šuvaevs – chairman of the parliamentary group of the "Progressives", a liberal party that is part of the coalition government.
Latvia, which ratified the Istanbul Convention in 2023, is on track to become the second country to withdraw. Turkey drew sharp criticism from the European Commission after withdrawing from the treaty in 2021.
In 2020, Poland's then-right-wing government began a process of withdrawing from the treaty, but was then replaced by the centrist cabinet of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, which canceled those plans last year.