On Thursday, the 8th of December, the majority of Saeima deputies rejected the collective initiative signed by 23 257 Latvian citizens On legal protection of all families. This initiative suggested legally recognising all couples living together out of wedlock and providing them with social protection.
This would also extend to same-sex couples.
Saeima’s Mandates, Ethics and Submissions Committee, too, rejected this initiative.
At the meeting of the committee the manager of Spouses Movement Kaspars Zālītis said the Constitutional Court previously mentioned the need to ensure legal protection for unregistered couples.
Deputy state secretary to the Ministry of Justice and director of the Human Rights Department Dagnija Palčevska said the initiative should be supported, considering the verdict from the Constitutional Court, which ruled that all families, same-sex families included, should be provided with protection. It is necessary to provide social protection and protection in inheritance cases, added the ministry’s representative.
Palčevska said the Saeima has the opportunity to take over the Civil Union legislative draft left from the 13th Saeima.
Saeima deputy Edmunds Zivtiņš stressed that, considering the catastrophic demographic situation, no initiatives that are not focused on supporting natural families should be supported.
The politician suggested rejecting the initiative. He later mentioned in debates that the Constitutional Court that interprets the Constitution in such a way «is not needed».
Saeima deputy Antoņina Ņenaševa stressed that many people who left the country, did so because of the messy state of family rights. This is why the politicians said she sees no way for deputies to make any decisions before properly organising this field.
It was also reported that on Tuesday, the 6th of December, Saeima’s Legal Affairs Committee decided not to continue 13th Saeima’s work on the Civil Union Law.