November 3, 2025, 10:57 p.mNovember 3, 2025, 10:57 p.m
Edgars Rinkevics backs out of withdrawal from Istanbul Convention after protests.Image: keystone
After protests against Latvia’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention for the Protection of Women against Violence, President Edgars Rinkevics vetoed a corresponding law. The head of state referred the decision back to the parliament in Riga for further discussion. The Saeima parliament had previously decided to withdraw from the Council of Europe Convention. This caused public protests in the Baltic EU and NATO country and international attention.
Rinkevics justified his move with important questions that remained unanswered when the law was passed. For example, he expressed concern about the contradiction between parliament and the government in implementing the decision. This was introduced by the opposition and passed with the help of the votes of one of the three coalition parties.
President sees “very contradictory signal”
Latvia only ratified the convention drawn up in 2011 last year after a long debate – it came into force in the Baltic state on May 1, 2024. The Baltic Sea state would be the first EU country to withdraw from the agreement. Its ratification was an important concern of the center-left government after it took office in September 2023. Opponents, however, see the treaty as promoting an ideology that undermines traditional family values in Latvia.
«The ratification and denunciation of the Convention shall take place during the term of office of a parliament and a government. Of course, this sends a very contradictory signal – both to Latvian society and to our international allies,” Rinkevics told the press. This unpredictability of state action is inappropriate in the European legal area.
Criticism and protests against exit
The Istanbul Convention classifies violence against women as a human rights violation. It also defines political and legal measures with which the signatory states should create a uniform Europe-wide framework for prevention, victim protection and criminal prosecution. Women’s rights organizations and institutions that work with victims of violence fear that the cancellation will weaken the protection of women and efforts for gender equality.
There were protests in Latvia against the planned withdrawal. In a letter to the Latvian government, diplomats from 15 countries – including the German ambassador – also expressed their concerns about a possible exit, as did the Council of Europe and other international organizations. (sda/dpa)