🔗 Share this article

Protesters gathered outside the legislative building this week

The Baltic nation's parliament members have decided to pull out from an international accord created to safeguard females from violence, including domestic abuse, following prolonged and intense debates in the legislature.

Several thousand of protesters gathered in the capital this past week to oppose the decision. The ultimate authority now lies with Head of State Edgars Rinkevics, who must determine whether to endorse or veto the legislation.

Known as the European treaty, the international accord only took effect in Latvia last twelve months ago, requiring authorities to develop legal frameworks and support services to end all forms of violence.

Latvia has become the initial EU country to initiate the procedure of withdrawing from the treaty. Turkey withdrew in two years ago, a decision that human rights organizations described as a significant setback for gender equality.

Political Controversy and Opposition

The treaty was ratified by the European Union in 2023, yet conservative groups have argued that its focus on equal rights undermines traditional families and promotes what they term "non-traditional gender concepts".

Following a lengthy discussion in the Latvian parliament, MPs voted by a margin of 56-32 to exit from the convention, a action proposed by political opponents but supported by representatives from one of the three coalition parties.

The outcome represents a defeat for moderate conservative government leader Evika Silina, who joined protesters outside parliament earlier this week. "We refuse to give up, we will persist in our struggle so that abuse does not triumph," she stated to the assembly.

Political Disagreements and Reactions

One of the main parties advocating for the withdrawal is Latvia First, whose leader has urged citizens to choose between what he terms a "natural family" and "gender ideology with multiple sexes".

Latvia's human rights commissioner Karina Palkova urged the treaty not to be made political, while the group Equality Now asserted it was "not a danger to national principles, it served as a tool to realize them".

The recent vote has sparked broad outcry both within Latvia and internationally.

Twenty-two thousand individuals have signed a Latvian petition calling for the treaty to be preserved. The gender equality group Centrs Marta has announced a protest for the coming week, charging MPs of disregarding the will of the Latvian people.

Global Worries and Potential Future Actions

The leader of the European organization's parliamentary assembly commented that Latvia had made a rash choice driven by false information. He characterized it as an "unprecedented and extremely worrying regression for women's rights and human rights in Europe".

He noted that since Turkey left the treaty in 2021, cases of femicide and abuse targeting females had increased significantly.

Because the vote did not achieve a two-thirds majority, the head of state could potentially return the legislation for further review if he has concerns.

President Rinkevics announced on social media that he would assess the vote according to legal requirements, "considering governmental and judicial factors, rather than ideological or political viewpoints".

Recently, another member of the governing alliance, the Progressives, suggested it would not exclude appealing to the Constitutional Court.

"This vote represents a worrisome situation for gender equality not only in Latvia but throughout Europe," stated a human rights activist.

• Domestic abuse statistics have been increasing in multiple European nations
• The European treaty requires specific safeguards for survivors of gender-based violence
• The nation's vote could influence comparable discussions in other EU countries