Latvia’s Parliament voted to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention, an international treaty which stands to protect women against violence, on October 31.
After a 13-hour debate in the Saeima- Latvia’s parliamentary house-, 56 Latvian MPs voted to withdraw, 32 to remain, and two abstained.
If implemented, the country would become the first EU member state to quit the landmark 2011 Council of Europe treaty, which obliges governments to strengthen legal protections and services to prevent gender-based violence.
Turkey withdrew from the accord in 2021. Since then, Theodoros Rousopoulos, President of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly, has warned of a sharp rise in femicide and violence against women across Europe.
The decision has prompted united public backlash, as 5,000 people protested the vote last week outside Parliament in Riga. Among the dissenters was Prime Minister Evika Silina, who told the crowd: “We will not give up, we will fight so that violence does not win.”
More than 22,000 people have signed a petition urging lawmakers to uphold the treaty, and another 15,000 are expected to gather at a protest organised by the women’s rights group Centrs Marta this week.
By contrast, only 20 people rallied in favor of withdrawal.
The decision now rests with President Edgars Rinkēvičs, who has maintained a largely neutral stance. While he has expressed reservations about the motion, he also signaled that he may not wish to override parliament.
Kristina Krumina, a Latvian journalist and COO of the Truesix marketing agency, told EU Reports that the decision has galvanized citizens across political lines. “It united the public, as most people are against this decision…the mood in society is to fight for this,” she said.
What’s behind the vote?
Ultra-conservative movements and political parties across Europe have denounced the treaty, claiming that it promotes “gender ideology”, and threatens “family values” and traditional morality.
In Latvia the push to withdraw has been largely spearheaded by the Latvia First party, whose leader Ainars Šlesers urged citizens to choose between a “natural family” and “gender ideology with multiple sexes.”
The proposal gained traction in September, when opposition lawmakers rallied support from Union Greens and Farmers, one of the three parties in Latvia’s governing coalition. The outcome is a political blow for Prime Minister Silina, whose coalition came to power in 2023 with a pledge to ratify the treaty.
Observers say the withdrawal is part of a broader strategy by populist leaders to divide society and highlight fractures within the coalition ahead of parliamentary elections in 2026.
“Populists are strengthening because they understand how social media algorithms work. They are a new generation of what I call click-bait politicians. Meanwhile, many Latvian public institutions still community like it’s 2005,” said Inga Springe, Co-Founder at The Baltic Center for Investigative Journalism.
Reaction to the vote
The decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention has triggered widespread criticism, both from within Latvia and internationally. Rousopoulos called the move “an unprecedented and deeply worrying step backwards for women’s rights and human rights in Europe,” adding that the decision appeared to be driven by misinformation.
The vote fell short of the two-thirds majority needed for approval, allowing President Edgars Rinkēvičs to return it to parliament for another reading for reconsideration.
Members of the Progressive party have also proposed referring the issue to the Constitutional Court, though experts suggest that such a review of international treaty withdrawal would be unprecedented.
A broader pattern of regression?
While some view Latvia’s withdrawal as part of a regional rollback on gender equality, others caution against overgeneralizing.
Krumina, for one, believes the move does not necessarily mark a wider erosion of human rights standards.
“Over the years, there has been progress, and I feel that the public has been more accepting of the LGBTQ community,” she said.
Last year, the Partnership Law was introduced in Latvia, which allows same-sex couples to officially register their partnership, granting them inheritance and guardianship rights in the event of death.
However, there is a prevailing sense that this marks only the beginning of a broader political shift.
“As I’ve said before, this is only the beginning. With parliamentary elections approaching next year, we can expect to see more initiatives like this,” said Springe.
Featured image: Protesters against the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention in Riga on 29 October 2025.
Image source: Amnesty International
