On Thursday, October 2, Minister of Justice Inese Lībiņa-Egnere met with the French Ambassador to Latvia, Manuel Lafont Rapnouil, to discuss cooperation in strengthening the rule of law, democracy, and human rights in Europe. During the meeting, particular attention was paid to the threats of deteriorating rule of law in Latvia in connection with potential withdrawal from the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.
Inese Lībiņa-Egnere emphasized that the Convention is a clear affirmation that Latvia belongs to the shared European values framework, and calls to withdraw from it, using Kremlin propaganda narratives, foster societal polarization, undermine democracy, and threaten international law and human rights standards. This is particularly unacceptable at a time when Russia, through both military and hybrid warfare methods, is deliberately attempting to undermine the security of European countries and the international legal order.
The French Ambassador highlighted that attempts to undermine individual rights are increasing in Europe. Both officials agreed that it is extremely important to protect democratic processes and shared values in an era when populism is becoming routine, while also standing on the side of victims and creating a safer environment for people.
The Ambassador confirmed his readiness to support Latvia in strengthening the rule of law and developing new training programs to promote public dialogue on the rule of law and reduce the impact of disinformation. Inese Lībiņa-Egnere stressed that society must be able to rely on facts, a principle actively upheld by the Ministry of Justice.
Within the framework of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, Latvia has already adopted France’s experience in electronic monitoring systems, which prevent offenders from approaching victims and ensure emergency assistance. Latvia also intends to continue drawing on French expertise in developing future training programs at the Latvian Justice Academy.
The 2023–2027 Strategic Partnership Action Plan between Latvia and France also foresees close cooperation in protecting women’s rights and preventing domestic violence.
Both the Minister of Justice and the French Ambassador confirmed their commitment to continue close cooperation to jointly strengthen democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights in Europe.