President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs has decided to return to the Saeima for reconsideration the draft law on Latvia’s withdrawal from the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, also known as the Istanbul Convention, the Presidential Chancellery has announced.
According to the Constitution, if the Saeima does not amend the law, the President may no longer raise objections a second time.
When a law is returned to the Saeima for reconsideration, the parliament must, without debate, forward the President’s substantiated objections to a committee and set a deadline for submitting proposals and re-examining the law.
The reconsideration follows the same procedure as the third reading of a draft law. During this stage, the Saeima examines only the President’s objections and proposals related to those objections.
As reported,
last week the Saeima adopted the law on Latvia’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention
with votes from the opposition and the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS).
The bill was submitted by the opposition party Latvia First (LPV) and was supported by other opposition parties – the National Alliance (NA), the United List (AS) and For Stability!, as well as by ZZS, which is part of the ruling coalition. The governing coalition parties New Unity (JV) and The Progressives did not support the withdrawal.
A total of 56 MPs voted for the withdrawal, 32 MPs from JV and The Progressives voted against, while two MPs – Igors Rajevs and Didzis Šmits – abstained. Debate on the bill lasted more than 13 hours.
The law was adopted under an accelerated procedure; however, the urgency was not approved by the necessary two-thirds majority, giving the President the option not to promulgate the law and return it to parliament for reconsideration. Opponents of the decision had also raised other possible options for preventing or delaying the law’s entry into force, such as applying to the Constitutional Court.
On Monday,
the Presidential Chancellery held a meeting at Riga Castle with representatives of the Saeima,
the government and non-governmental organisations regarding the law adopted in parliament.
Many NGOs as well as JV and The Progressives had previously called on the President not to promulgate the law and to return it to the Saeima for reconsideration.
Meanwhile, a ManaBalss.lv initiative addressed to the President, urging him not to promulgate the law, has collected more than 61,000 signatures in less than four days. Another initiative already submitted to the Saeima calling for Latvia to continue participation in the Convention has gathered almost 32,000 signatures.
A protest against the withdrawal outside the Saeima last Wednesday drew around 5,000 people, making it one of the largest demonstrations in recent years. A second protest will take place this week, on 6 November, in Dome Square. Demonstrations are also planned in Liepāja, Cēsis and Daugavpils, as well as in Tallinn and Tartu in Estonia, Brussels, Helsinki, Berlin, The Hague and Vienna.
By contrast,
a protest in support of denouncing the Convention outside the Saeima last Thursday gathered around 20 people.
A petition launched in 2016 against Latvia joining the Convention has resurfaced in recent days; over nearly a decade, it has collected slightly more than 33,000 signatures. Another new initiative launched on Monday calls on President Rinkēvičs to promulgate the law – so far, it has gathered just over 2,000 signatures.
Most experts and NGOs working to prevent violence oppose the withdrawal, warning that it would weaken protection for victims of abuse and damage Latvia’s international reputation among Western allies.
Following the Saeima vote, the international human rights organisation Amnesty International issued a statement. Monika Costa Riba, the organisation’s Senior Advocate for Women’s Rights, said: “Latvia’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention would be a devastating blow to the protection and rights of women and girls, as well as all people experiencing domestic violence, sending abusers a dangerous message that they can harm and kill women and girls with impunity.”
The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Theodoros Roussopoulos, also stated on Friday that the decision by the Latvian parliament is a dangerous signal.
The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence entered into force in Latvia on 1 May last year. It is an international treaty requiring member states to develop coordinated policies to better protect women from all forms of violence, as well as both women and men from domestic violence. Among other requirements, member states must provide comprehensive assistance and protection for victims, crisis centres, 24/7 helplines, specialised support centres for survivors of sexual violence, and ensure protection and support for children who witness violence.
Read also: BNN IN FOCUS | What Happens Next? Political scientist explains why withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention could reshape Latvia’s government