Overview
- The Saeima approved the withdrawal bill 56–32 with two abstentions after roughly 12 hours of debate, and some deputies from two governing coalition parties voted against it.
- Police estimated that several thousand people protested in Riga ahead of the parliamentary session.
- Supporters, including Welfare Minister Reinis Uzulnieks, argue the convention pressures abandonment of traditional family roles and is unnecessary to address domestic violence.
- Opponents warn the move could curtail human-rights protections and harm Latvia’s international standing.
- Foreign diplomats from Germany, France, the United Kingdom and 12 other countries expressed concern in a letter before the vote, and Latvia would become the first EU member to exit if the decision is finalized, following Turkey’s 2021 withdrawal.