“You wake up, kiss a portrait of Putin...” – and why Rinkēvičs makes all these statements 0 18

The saga of the Istanbul Convention continues in the Saeima. It should be noted that today and tomorrow, discussions on amendments to this bill will be the focus of the Saeima's Foreign Affairs Committee meetings, and on Thursday, the bill is expected to be adopted in its second and final reading, which will also be preceded by very long debates!

Surprisingly, but fact: the opponents of Latvia's withdrawal (denunciation) from the Istanbul Convention — the deputies of "New Unity" and "Progressives" — seemingly conspired to base all their speeches on the notion that... supporters of withdrawal from the convention are either victims of Russian propaganda or, out of misunderstanding, act in the interests of the Kremlin. In general, useful idiots.

The Ubiquitous "Hand of Moscow"

"And if we look historically back, when this Istanbul Convention was developed, who was the only country that categorically opposed and never signed this convention? Russia!… …One can find indeed countless scientific publications stating that the demonization of Western civilization is the oldest narrative of Russia's disinformation since the 19th century. They try to appropriate such special things as spirituality, family values, or traditions. And Russia openly states that it is the last bastion of so-called traditional values and the moral opposing force against the degeneration of the USA and Western countries, as they call it, or corruption," said the Vice-Speaker of the Saeima Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica ("New Unity") from the podium.

"The newly appointed ombudsman noted in the committee that these actions narrow the rights of the residents of Latvia. In my opinion, the only country that would deliberately want to reduce the protection of its population due to political ratings is Russia," echoed his colleague, the leader of the "Progressives" faction Andris Šuvajevs.

Opponents of withdrawal from the convention accused the authors of the denunciation bill of wanting to drag Latvia into the "club of Russia."

"Whoever disagrees is a Putinist?"

"If you disagree with the opinion of the Progressives and 'Unity' community, do not participate in the so-called march of care for friendship or gender identity, then you are a Putinist, a victim of hybrid warfare.

The question is, who is the real expert on the Russian constitution and Putinism? Those who watch banned channels? Where do you draw your inspiration from? I haven’t read or heard. And you, dear Progressives, it seems to me, wake up, kiss a photo of Putin, and write your speeches because that’s the only thing that can inspire you..." countered MP Ilze Stobova from the podium.

A Puzzle for Rinkēvičs

Opponents of the convention's repeal, of course, tried to involve the president in the disputes. However, the seasoned politician Rinkēvičs decided to "stay above the fray." Yesterday, the head of state stated that he does not intend to participate in the debate about the convention so as not to further divide society. However, he cannot escape the "given topic" — "New Unity" and "Progressives," if the bill is adopted, intend to appeal to the president with a request not to proclaim the law.

Those political scientists who noted that Rinkēvičs is very unhappy about this scandal are right. Until now, the head of state has been calmly fulfilling his modest duties, winning the sympathy of the population and not irritating politicians — this includes trips around the country and abroad, presenting quite popular bills in parliament, and taking photos with cats, children, and during visits to cafes... And now the problem is — he needs to somehow position himself in a situation of division in power...

If Rinkēvičs refuses to proclaim the bill and sends it back for revision to the Saeima, he will surely lose the votes of the entire opposition and the "green farmers," and the presidential elections are in May-June 2027... If he proclaims the law, he will turn former party members ("New Unity") and the "Progressives" against him, who voted for his election as president 2.5 years ago. In general, a dilemma...