Latvia moves to leave global women’s anti-violence accord Becoming first EU country to ditch Istanbul Convention

Following a parliamentary vote on October 29, Latvia may emerge as the initial EU nation to exit a significant international agreement aimed at addressing domestic abuse and violence toward women.

The vote resulted in 56 lawmakers in favour, 32 against, and two abstentions, leading to the decision to pull out from the Istanbul Convention—a treaty from the Council of Europe designed to unify assistance for female victims of violence—merely one year since its implementation.

Andris Šuvajevs, who leads the parliamentary group for the centre-left Progressive Party, described the outcome to POLITICO as “a shameful decision for the parliament,” right after the vote concluded following a rigorous 14-hour discussion.

The bill to exit the treaty originated from the right-wing opposition group Latvia First, yet it gained passage thanks to backing from one of the trio of parties in the governing coalition. The centrist Union of Greens and Farmers broke ranks with Prime Minister Evika Siliņa’s party to aid in advancing the legislation.

In a written statement to POLITICO, Ingūna Millere from Latvia First characterised the Istanbul Convention as a “product of radical feminism based on the ideology of ‘gender’” and claimed that Latvia’s ratification represented “political marketing that has nothing to do with the fight against violence.”

Human rights organisations have strongly condemned the effort to withdraw, cautioning that it could reverse progress on women’s rights in Latvia. The day prior to the vote, approximately 5,000 individuals protested in front of the parliament, displaying placards such as “Hands off the Istanbul Convention” and “Latvia is not Russia.”

Tamar Dekanosidze, serving as the Eurasia regional representative for the women’s rights organisation Equality Now, noted that the legislation seeks to recast gender equality efforts as promoting an “LGBTQ agenda,” employing a narrative reminiscent of the Kremlin that enables politicians to position themselves as protectors of “national values” in the lead-up to elections.

She further stated, “This would mean that, in terms of values, legal systems and governance, Latvia would be more aligned with Russia than with the European Union and Western countries,” and emphasised that this “directly serves Russia’s interests in the country.”

For Latvia’s withdrawal to proceed, it needs the endorsement of President Edgars Rinkēvičs, who indicated prior to the vote that he would examine the legislation and reveal his choice within 10 days. Should it occur, Latvia would mark the second nation to depart from the convention, after Türkiye’s withdrawal in 2021.

By Tamilla Hasanova