The European Students’ Union (ESU) and the Latvian Students’ Union (Latvijas Studentu apvienība – LSA) express deep concern over ongoing discussions in the Parliament of Latvia (Saeima) regarding a possible withdrawal from the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, commonly known as the Istanbul Convention. Such a step would mark a serious setback for Latvia’s human rights commitments, undermine trust in European cooperation, and contradict the shared democratic and rule-of-law principles on which the European Union and the Council of Europe are built. Latvia’s ratification of the Istanbul Convention in January 2024 represented an important milestone in strengthening national protection against domestic and…

At the rescheduled emergency Council meeting of the Student Union of Latvia (LSA) on April 26, 2025, two new Vice Presidents were elected in accordance with the organization’s newly implemented board model. Rūdolfs Aleksandrs Strods was appointed Vice President for Policy Affairs, while Paula Vikaine was elected Vice President for Organizational Affairs. Changes in the Board Structure The new LSA board model, which will take effect on April 28, 2025, introduces significant changes to the composition of the board. These changes have been implemented in response to longstanding challenges and an imbalanced distribution of responsibilities. From now on, the LSA board will consist of three members – the President and two…