Constitutional amendments proposed by National Alliance would lead us back to Soviet times - PM Karins

RIGA - The National Alliance's proposal to provide a definition of family in the Constitution would lead us back to Soviet times, Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity) believes. 

On Wednesday, Karins met with lawmakers representing the For Development/For group in the Saeima, LETA was told at the prime minister's office.

During the meeting, the prime minister underlined that building an inclusive society is a basic precondition for Latvia's development. Karins and his New Unity party do not support the proposed constitutional amendments, which have been submitted to the Saeima, as they would lead Latvia backwards - to the Soviet era. 

"The amendments that have been submitted to the Saeima, if they are adopted, would mean a return to the past, but we need to work together with a look into the future, the direction chosen by our country where every person is valuable. These amendments unforgivably divide our society at a time when its unity is critical in our fight against the pandemic. Together, we must build an inclusive society and strengthen what unites us - our patriotism, our solidarity and tolerance," Karins said. 

The prime minister thanked lawmakers of the For Development/For group and emphasized that only by working together in the Saeima it will be possible to prevent the divisive amendments from being adopted and strengthen Latvia's progress towards a welfare state that would be safe and inclusive for everyone. 

As reported, For Development/For believes that the prime minister must get personally involved in protecting the Constitution against family discrimination and ensure compliance with the coalition agreement, as according to the agreement any Constitutional amendment must be agreed upon by all coalition partners unanimously.

As reported, the Saeima has sent to parliamentary committees the National Alliance's proposal to define family in the constitution as an entity formed by a man and a woman.

The National Alliance believes that the constitution needs a more specific definition of family after the Constitutional Court ruled on November 12 that households formed by same-sex partners should also be recognized as families, which the state has the obligation to protect and support like any other families.

The National Alliance considers this to be an arbitrary interpretation of the term 'family', contravening Article 110 of the constitution and the general public's understanding of what family is.

In the draft legislation submitted to the Saeima, the National Alliance proposes stipulating that the state protects and supports marriage - a union of a man and a woman, family which is based on marriage and formed by a mother (woman) and father (man), and that the state has a special obligation to support children with disabilities, parentless children and children who have suffered violence.

The bill thus outlines three possible ways in which a family can be formed: first - as a result of marriage; second - as a result of blood kinship and third - as a result of adoption, which in legal terms is an equivalent of blood kinship.