The challenge of Populist Radical Right Parties to Europeanization – the cases of Estonia and Latvia, 2018-2021

Aleksandra Kuczyńska-Zonik

ORCID: Aleksandra Kuczyńska-Zonik: 0000-0002-5672-9613

Afiliacja: John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Poland

Peteris F. Timofejevs

ORCID: Peteris F. Timofejevs: 0000-0002-0434-6776

Afiliacja: Umeå University, Sweden

Pages: 143-175

Edition: Lublin 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36874/RIESW.2021.3.7

Citation method: P.F. Timofejevs, A. Kuczyńska-Zonik, The challenge of Populist Radical Right Parties to Europeanization – the cases of Estonia and Latvia, 2018-2021, „Rocznik Instytutu Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej” 19(2021), z. 3, s. 143-175, doi: https://doi.org/10.36874/RIESW.2021.3.7.

Keywords: , , , ,

Abstract: Over the last two decades, family law has undergone changes in Western Europe, widening the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples. In addition, some East European countries offer a legal recognition of civil unions of same-sex couples, while others do not offer any legal recognition at all. This diversity in family law has been recently challenged by developments at the European level. It is argued here that this constitutes an adaptational pressure on those European Union (EU) member states that do not offer any or offer only formal recognition of same-sex couples. We examine two cases when member states faced such an adaptational pressure, namely Estonia and Latvia, focusing on the interplay of two types of factors. First is that of formal institutions which, due to their constitutional role or their expertise in the EU law, may act as facilitators of legal changes. On the other hand, there are also political actors which have tried to constrain such an adaptation. We examine here especially the role of two political parties which have made a considerable effort to oppose the change in the two countries. It is argued here that the ideological orientation of these parties explains, at least partly, their opposition to the ongoing Europeanization of family law. The paper concludes with a discussion of the main findings and their implications.

Bibliography:

Amnesty International, Latvia: Riga Pride 2007: championing equal rights, 14 June 2007, https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/64000/eur520042007en.pdf.

Amnesty International, Successful Pride parade in Riga despite heavy protests, 3 June 2012, https://www.amnesty.org/en/press-releases/2012/06/successful-pride-parade-riga-despite-heavy-protests/.

Apollo, Saeima noraida Dzīvesbiedru likumprojektu, 20 June 2019, https://www.apollo.lv/6711993/saeima-noraida-dzivesbiedru-likumprojektu.

Auers D., Kasekamp A., The impact of radical right parties in the Baltic states [in:] Transforming the Transformation? The East European radical right in the political process, M. Minkenberg (ed.), Routledge 2015.

Ayoub P.M., Cooperative transnationalism in contemporary Europe: Europeanization and political opportunities for LGBT mobilization in the European Union, “European Political Science Review” 2013, vol. 5, no. 2.

Ayoub P.M., With Arms Wide Shut: Threat Perception, Norm Reception, and Mobilized Resistance to LGBT Rights, “Journal of Human Rights” 2014, vol. 13, no. 3.

Belavusau U., Kochenov D., Same-Sex Spouses: More free movement, but what about marriage? Coman, “Common Market Law Review” 2020, vol. 57, no. 1.

Börzel T.A., Risse T., Conceptualising the Domestic Impact of Europe [in:] The Politics of Europeanisation, K. Featherstone, C. Radaelli (eds.), Oxford University Press, 2003.

Börzel T.A., Risse T., When Europe Hits Home: Europeanization and Domestic Change, “European Integration online Papers” 2000, vol. 4, no. 15, http://eiop.or.at/eiop/texte/2000-015a.htm.

Braghiroli S., Petsinis V., Between party-systems and identity-politics: the populist and radical right in Estonia and Latvia, “European Politics and Society” 2019, vol. 20, no. 4.

Calkin S., Kaminska M.E., Persistence and change in morality policy: the role of the Catholic Church in the politics of abortion in Ireland and Poland, “Feminist Review” 2020, no. 124.

Case C-673/16, Coman et al. v. Inspectoratul General pentru Imigrări, Judgment of the Court of Justice (Grand Chamber) of 5 June 2018, EU:C:2018:385.

Commerer B., Populist Radical Right Homophobia, paper presented at the APSA 2010 Annual Meeting, https://ssrn.com/abstract=1657658.

Directive (EU) 2019/1158 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on work-life balance for parents and carers and repealing Council Directive 2010/18/EU, “Official Journal of the European Union”, 12 July 2019, vol. 62, L 188/79-93.

EESTI.EE, Registration of cohabitation, https://www.eesti.ee/en/family/registration-of-cohabitation/.

ERR.EE, Circuit court: Same-sex marriage cannot be considered valid in Estonia, 11 November 2017, https://news.err.ee/644719/circuit-court-samesex-marriage-cannot-be-considered-valid-in-estonia.

ERR.EE, EELK head: Marriage should be defined in Constitution as between man, woman, 30 November 2017, https://news.err.ee/645909/eelk-headmarriage-should-be-defined-in-constitution-as-between-man-woman.

ERR, Estonia to pay damages for failing to adopt implementing legislation for civil partnership law, 2 February 2017, https://news.err.ee/120607/estonia-to-pay-damages-for-failing-to-adopt-implementing-legislationfor-civil-partnership-law.

ERR.EE, Parliament Passes Cohabitation Act; President Proclaims It, 9 October 2014, https://news.err.ee/113867/parliament-passes-cohabitationact-president-proclaims-it.

ERR, President chides MPs for shunning Partnership Act’s implementing provisions, 11 September 2017, https://news.err.ee/617964/president-chidesmps-for-shunning-partnership-act-s-implementing-provisions.

ERR.EE, Supreme Court: Registered Partnership Act part of Estonia’s legal order, 10 April 2018, https://news.err.ee/744978/supreme-court-registeredpartnership-act-part-of-estonia-s-legal-order.

ERR.EE, Survey: Estonians have become more tolerant of sexual minorities, 1 October 2019, https://news.err.ee/987128/survey-estonians-have-become-more-tolerant-of-sexual-minorities.

Estonian Human Rights Centre, Attitudes towards LGBT topics in Estonia, https://humanrights.ee/en/topics-main/equal-treatment/attitudes-towards-lgbt-topics-estonia/.

European Commission, Eurobarometer on Discrimination 2019, 23 September 2019, https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/ebs_493_data_fact_lgbti_eu_en-1.pdf.

European Court of Human Rights, Case of Oliari and others v. Italy, (Applications nos. 18766/11 and 36030/11), Judgment, Strasbourg, 21 July 2015, Final, 21/10/2015.

European Parliament, The rights of LGBTI people in the European Union, May 2019, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2019/637950/EPRS_BRI(2019)637950_EN.pdf.

Iesalnieks J., Dzintars R., Jansons R., Kols R., Indriksone I., Likumprojekts Grozījums Latvijas Republikas Satversmē, Nr. 111.8/5-1-13/21, https://titania.saeima.lv/LIVS13/saeimalivs13.nsf/0/A38F6751399F389CC225865600317857?OpenDocument#_ftn5.

ILGA EUROPE, Annual Review of the Human Rights Situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex People 2019, https://www.ilga-europe.org/sites/default/files/annual_review_2019.pdf.

Jegelevicius L., Estonia’s liberal reputation at stake as gay marriage referendum emboldens the far-right, 11 November 2020, https://www.euronews.com/2020/11/06/estonia-s-liberal-reputation-at-stake-as-gay-marriagereferendum-emboldens-the-far-right.

Kilp A., Estonia: Religious Association Restrictions of Same-Sex Couple Religious Rights [in:] Religion in the Context of Globalization: Legal aspects of the functioning of religious organizations, E. Elbakyan, L. Fylypovych, H. Hoffmann, A. Książek (eds.), NOMOS 2017.

Kochenov D.V., Belavusau U., After the celebration: Marriage equality in EU Law post-Coman in eight questions and some further thoughts, “Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law” 2020, vol. 27, no. 5.

Kollman K., European institutions, transnational networks and national same-sex unions policy: when soft law hits harder, “Contemporary Politics” 2009, vol. 15, no. 1.

Laviņš A., Satversmes tiesas tiesneša Alda Laviņa atsevišķās domas Rīgā 2020. gada 26. novembrī lietā Nr. 2019-33-01, 16 November 2020, https://www.satv.tiesa.gov.lv/web/viewer.html?file=https://www.satv.tiesa.gov.lv/wpcontent/uploads/2019/12/2019-33-01_Lavins.pdf.

Latvijas Republikas Satversme, https://likumi.lv/ta/id/57980-latvijas-republikas-satversme.

Latvijas Republikas Satversmes Tiesa, Spriedums Latvijas Republikas vārdā Rīgā 2020.gada 12.novembrī lietā Nr.2019-33-01, 16 November 2020, https://www.satv.tiesa.gov.lv/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/2019-33-01_Spriedums-3.pdf#search=2019-33-01.

LGL.LT, Same-sex Marriage Concluded Abroad Recognized by Appeals Court in Estonia, 27 January 2017, https://www.lgl.lt/en/?p=15853.

LSM, Dombrava: NA sniegs iniciatīvas, «lai labotu Satversmes tiesas kļūdas» spriedumā par viendzimuma pāru tiesībām, 8 December 2020, https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/latvija/dombrava-na-sniegs-iniciativas-lai-labotu-satversmes-tiesas-kludas-sprieduma-par-viendzimuma-paru-tiesibam.a384813/.

LSM, Nacionālā apvienība piedāvā Satversmē noteikt ģimenes jēdzienu, 7 January 2021, https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/latvija/nacionala-apvienibapiedava-satversme-noteikt-gimenes-jedzienu.a388007/.

Minkenberg M., The Radical Right in Eastern Europe: Democracy under Siege?, Palgrave Macmillan, 2017.

Mole R., Nationality and sexuality: homophobic discourse and the ‘national threat’ in contemporary Latvia, “Nations and Nationalism” 2011, vol. 17, no. 3.

Mos M., Conflicted Normative Power Europe: The European Union and Sexual Minority Rights, “Journal of Contemporary European Research” 2013, vol. 9, no. 1.

Mos M., Of Gay Rights and Christmas Ornaments: The Political History of Sexual Orientation Non-discrimination in the Treaty of Amsterdam, “JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies” 2014, vol. 52, no. 3.

Mos M., The anticipatory politics of homophobia: explaining constitutional bans on same-sex marriage in post-communist Europe, “East European Politics” 2020, vol. 36, no. 3.

Moumoutzis K., Still Fashionable Yet Useless? Addressing Problems with Research on the Europeanization of Foreign Policy, “JCMS: Journal of Common Markets Studies” 2011, vol. 49, no. 3.

Mudde C., Populist Radical Right Parties in Europe, Cambridge University Press, 2007.

O’Dwyer C., Does the EU help or hinder gay-rights movements in post-communist Europe? The case of Poland, “East European Politics” 2012, vol. 28, no. 4.

O’Dwyer C., From Conditionality to Persuasion? Europeanization and the Rights of Sexual Minorities in Post-Accession Poland, “Journal of European Integration” 2010, vol. 32, no. 3.

Riigi Teataja, Registered Partnership Act, https://www.riigiteataja.ee/en/eli/527112014001/consolide.

O’Dwyer C., Schwartz K.Z.S., Minority rights after EU enlargement: A comparison of antigay politics in Poland and Latvia, “Comparative European Politics” 2010, vol. 8.

Osipova S., Satversmes tiesas tiesneses Sanitas Osipovas atsevišķās domas Rīgā 2020. gada26. novembrī lietā Nr. 2019-33-01, 16 November 2020, https://www.satv.tiesa.gov.lv/web/viewer.html?file=https://www.satv.tiesa.gov.lv/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/2019-33-01_Osipova.pdf.

Parliament of Estonia, The second reading of the implementation provisions of the Registered Partnership Act will be held on 26 January, 14 December 2015, https://www.riigikogu.ee/en/press-releases/legal-affairs-committeeen/the-second-reading-of-the-implementation-provisions-of-the-registered-partnership-act-will-be-held-on-26-january/.

Petsinis V., Identity Politics and Right-Wing Populism in Estonia: The Case of EKRE, “Nationalism and Ethnic Politics” 2019, vol. 25, no. 2.

Poteat V.P., Mereish E.H., Ideology, Prejudice, and Attitudes Toward Sexual Minority Social Policies and Organizations, “Political Psychology” 2012, vol. 33, no. 3.

Ragone S., Volpe V., An Emerging Right to a “Gay” Family Life? The Case Oliari v. Italy in a Comparative Perspective, “German Law Journal” 2016, vol. 17, no. 3.

Riigikohus, Constitutional judgment 5-18-5, https://www.riigikohus.ee/en/constitutional-judgment-5-18-5.

Saeima, Balsošanas rezultāti. Balsošanas motīvs: Grozījums Latvijas Republikas Satversmē (893/Lp13), nodošana komisijām. Datums: 14.01.2021 12:10:19, http://titania.saeima.lv/LIVS13/SaeimaLIVS2_DK.nsf/0/5818B7B7C88E9D71C225865D00474DCD?OpenDocument.

Schimmelfennig F., Sedelmeier U., Introduction: Conceptualizing the Europeanization of Central and Eastern Europe [in:] The Europeanization of Central and Eastern Europe, F. Schimmelfennig, U. Sedelmeier (eds.), Cornell University Press, 2005.

Schimmelfennig F., Sedelmeier U., The Europeanization of Eastern Europe: the external incentives model revisited, “Journal of European Public Policy” 2020, vol. 27, no. 6.

Sedelmeier U., Europeanization [in:] The Oxford Handbook of the European Union, E. Jones, A. Menon, S. Weatherhill (eds.), Oxford University Press, 2012.

Sedelmeier U., Europeanisation in new member and candidate states, “Living Reviews in European Governance” 2011, vol. 6, no. 1.

Slootmaeckers K., Constructing European Union Identity through LGBT Equality Promotion: Crises and Shifting Othering Processes in the European Union Enlargement, “Political Studies Review” 2020, vol. 18, no. 3.

Spierings N., Lubbers M., Zaslove A., ‘Sexually modern nativist voters’: do they exist and do they vote for the populist radical right?, “Gender and Education” 2017, vol. 29, no. 2.

Swiebel J., Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender human rights: the search for an international strategy, “Contemporary Politics” 2009, vol. 15, no. 1.

Talalaev H., The situation of LGBT persons, Estonian Human Rights Centre, https://humanrights.ee/en/the-situation-of-lgbt-persons/.

Tambur S., Estonia’s interior minister: Let our gays run to Sweden, Estonian World, 16 October 2020, https://estonianworld.com/life/estonias-interior-minister-let-our-gays-run-to-sweden/.

Torga M., Party autonomy of the spouses under the Rome III Regulation in Estonia – can private international law change substantive law?, “Netherlands Private International Law on Family Law” 2014, no. 4.

Tsebelis G., Veto Players: How Political Institutions Work, Princeton University Press, 2002.

Washington Post, Estonia approves same-sex partnerships, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/estonia-approves-same-sex-partnerships/2014/10/09/767e6a50-4fd4-11e4-8c24-487e92bc997b_story.html.