Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs has refused to approve his parliament’s decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention.
The bill to pull out of the global treaty on preventing violence against women was put forward by the right-wing party Latvija Pirmajā (Latvia First).
In a press conference yesterday, Rinkēvičs cautioned against leaving the convention, pointing out legal, political and international issues.
While recognising that the Latvian parliament, or Seima, can “decide on Latvia’s withdrawal from any international treaties”, he said the Seima decided to do so without considering the government’s position.
“The Law on International Treaties of the Republic of Latvia stipulates that the Cabinet of Ministers ensures the implementation of adopted treaties,” he said.
“In this case, the Saeima did not take into account the cabinet’s opinion on the necessity for Latvia regarding this particular international treaty or convention; on the contrary, the government believes that our country should adhere to this convention.”
The President also argued that Latvia leaving the convention might send “mixed signals” to countries in “the Council of Europe and the European Union.”
“The question arises whether such action is compatible with the principle of loyal cooperation established in the EU treaties, and to a large extent, it also touches on the issue of gender equality mentioned in Article 2 of the EU Treaty,” Rinkēvičs said.
The Istanbul Convention came into effect in Latvia on May 1, 2024.
Rinkēvičs warned that withdrawing from the convention now would create a gap in Latvian law, as the government is working on new laws to prevent violence against women and domestic abuse.
The declaration submitted by members of the parliament calls for the drafting of this comprehensive legislation by March 1, 2026, covering violence against women, children and domestic violence broadly, as well as measures for its prevention and eradication.
The withdrawal bill now returns to parliament for members to address the President’s objections. They can still override him with a new vote.
The Latvian Constitution also allows the President to suspend the publication of any law adopted by the Saeima for up to two months.
