The scandal will not prevent deputies... from ending the Istanbul Convention

Let us remind you that the scandal involving the opposition's attempt, with the support of the 'Green Farmers', to withdraw Latvia from the Istanbul Convention nearly led to a governmental crisis. And although the ruling partners supposedly managed to achieve a temporary truce (until the budget is adopted), the very next day after this truce, that is, on Tuesday, September 30, the Minister of Welfare, Rainis Uzuliņieks (Union of Greens and Farmers), expressed the forecast that Latvia would withdraw from the Istanbul Convention. At the same time, the head of the Ministry of Welfare reminded that in the Saeima's Foreign Affairs Committee, which received the draft law on withdrawal from the convention, the opposition holds the majority! It is noteworthy that Prime Minister assigned Uzuliņieks to present a report on the implementation of the provisions of the convention by the government meeting on October 7. And by a 'coincidence', on October 8, that is, the day after the minister's report, the Saeima's Foreign Affairs Committee will begin consideration of the right-wing opposition's draft law on the withdrawal (denunciation) of the Istanbul Convention. The committee is chaired by deputy Ināra Mūrniece, representing the opposition faction of the National Alliance. This faction is one of the authors of the draft law. The committee consists of 9 deputies, and only three - two from 'New Unity' and one from 'Progressives' - oppose Latvia's withdrawal from the convention. The outcome of the vote in the committee is clear.

However, it is still too early for supporters of the denunciation of the convention to pop the champagne - discussions of the draft law are still ahead in the second and third readings, both in the parliamentary committee and at the plenary session. The entire discussion process will take at least a month.