Parties dismantling the government submitted an alternative to the Istanbul Convention to the Saeima 0 30

On Thursday, the deputies of the Saeima decided to include a draft resolution prepared by the deputies in the agenda for the meeting on October 16. This was supported by 79 deputies, with only the "Progressives" faction opposing it.

Before the vote, deputy from the "Progressives" Andris Šuvajev pointed out that a "moment of political amnesia" has come in parliament. He reminded that perhaps the deputies who submitted this bill have forgotten that two years ago the Saeima already voted for the ratification of the Istanbul Convention.

According to Šuvajev, it is possible that these deputies do not even know that an impact assessment of this convention is already being conducted in the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee.

The deputy emphasized that the Istanbul Convention is already in effect in Latvia, and a five-year plan has been developed based on it to prevent and combat violence against women and in the family.

"In my opinion, we find ourselves in an absurd situation," said Šuvajev. "Due to broken promises by the ZZS, the parliament has begun to assess the impact of the Istanbul Convention on reducing violence in the country. Now each ministry is reporting on the work done."

In his opinion, no new proposals will be able to "wash away" Latvia's reputation if a decision is made to denounce the Istanbul Convention.

He also emphasized that the often-mentioned concept of "social gender" has not affected any political figure, as evidenced by the absence of this "mythological term" in discussions when assessing the convention.

"The only ones who cannot sleep peacefully are some deputies of the Saeima, who are apparently worried about how to define their gender," added Šuvajev.

Saeima deputy Nauris Puntulis (NA) noted that the National Alliance has always consistently advocated for real and effective action against violence.

"We must not allow the issue of preventing violence to become an ideological struggle and for the problems of violence not to be addressed substantively," explained the deputy, adding that the goal of politicians is to achieve practical actions: assistance to victims and strict accountability for the guilty. According to him, Latvia needs to develop effective legal regulations that protect people in the spirit and values of the Satversme.

The declaration submitted to the Saeima provides for the development of a new comprehensive law on the prevention and eradication of violence against women, children, domestic violence, and violence in general by March 1, 2026. The law must establish the state's obligation to actively address violence issues, ensure protection and support for victims — legal, psychological, and social assistance — provide for strict accountability for acts of violence as well as for the inaction of state institutions, and regulate data collection, cooperation between institutions, and public education in the field of violence prevention.

The National Alliance emphasizes that real results are only possible if specific, practically feasible norms aimed at addressing the issues substantively are included in national legislation.

As previously reported, at the end of September, after the ZZS voted in the Saeima to denounce the Istanbul Convention, noticeable instability began in the government coalition. Although coalition partners promised to work on adopting the "security budget" for the next year, only a few politicians currently express faith in the ability of Prime Minister Evika Siliņa's (New Unity) government to work effectively in the long term.

In Latvia, the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, also known as the Istanbul Convention, came into force on May 1 of last year. This international treaty obliges participating countries to implement a coordinated policy for better protection of women from all forms of violence, as well as women and men from domestic violence. Among other things, states are required to provide comprehensive assistance and protection to victims, including crisis centers, 24-hour hotlines, specialized support centers for victims of sexual violence, as well as to protect and support children who have witnessed violence.

In the "New Unity" faction in the Saeima, there are 25 deputies, in the ZZS — 16, in the "Progressives" — 8. The "United List" is represented by 13 deputies, the National Alliance — 12, and the parties "Latvia First" and "For Stability" — by 8 each. There are also 10 non-affiliated deputies in parliament, some of whom support the ruling coalition.