Overview
- Lawmakers approved an opposition-introduced bill to withdraw, with support from one of Prime Minister Evika Silina’s three coalition parties.
- If signed, Latvia would become the first EU member to exit the Council of Europe treaty on preventing and combating violence against women.
- Rinkēvičs said he will evaluate the legislation on legal rather than ideological grounds before deciding whether to promulgate it.
- About 5,000 people rallied in Riga against the move, which police described as one of the largest demonstrations in recent years.
- Opponents of the convention argue it promotes broader gender definitions and threatens traditional family norms, while women’s rights groups warn withdrawal could weaken victim protections; Latvia only brought the treaty into force on May 1, 2024.