Main narratives:
- “Gender Ideology” conspiracy
- Government is destroying traditional values
- LGBTQ+ values are morally decadent
Overview:
After years of debate, Latvia ratified the Istanbul Convention on November 30, 2023, with the treaty entering force on May 1, 2024. Last week, the Saeima supported withdrawing from the Convention in its first reading and designated the bill as urgent, reducing the process to only two readings. With the final vote scheduled for October 30, disinformation about the Istanbul Convention has intensified once again.
Ainars Šlesers from the Latvia First party intensified his disinformation campaign against the Istanbul Convention using manipulation tactics that mirror Trumpian political communication strategies. His messaging combines conspiracy theories and personal attacks to mobilize opposition while delegitimizing political opponents.
Šlesers repeatedly claims the Istanbul Convention is designed to “brainwash children” in schools, claiming that schools are teaching kids to swap genders. He frames the Convention as an assault on biological reality, declaring “there is only man and woman” and warning it will replace “mom and dad” with “PARENT 1 and PARENT 2.” This narrative fabricates threats to children and families that have no basis in the Convention’s actual provisions about violence prevention and closely follows conservative rhetoric in the US.
Šlesers alleges that “Sorosists” (a common anti-democratic dog whistle) corrupted the Greens and Farmers Union (ZZS) by offering them a place in the government solely to ratify the Istanbul Convention. He claims the Convention “was ratified with fraud and pressure,” delegitimizing the democratic process while positioning himself as exposing hidden manipulation by shadowy elites. This echoes Trumpian deep state conspiracies.
Following Trump’s playbook of personal attacks and assigning demeaning nicknames, Šlesers repeatedly refers to Unity party leader Jurģis Jurēvičs as “the bearded guy,” mocking his appearance. Slesers claimed he “has never even worked in any job outside politics” because “in the private sector no one needs such a guy.” This personal ridicule serves to discredit opponents without engaging substantive policy arguments.
Šlesers portrays security services as “chain dogs” carrying orders from “progressive Unity” to stop Latvia leaving the Convention. This narrative delegitimizes state institutions while painting his opponents as authoritarian forces using government power against the people.
He concludes with dramatic appeals that “the nation must finally wake up from its lethargic sleep in order to save Latvia,” framing the conflict as an existential battle requiring immediate mass mobilization. This creates urgency and moral stakes that justify extreme rhetoric and actions.
These tactics – conspiracy theories about elites, personal ridicule, institutional delegitimization, and apocalyptic framing – closely mirror the authoritarian populist communication style pioneered by Trump and adopted by illiberal politicians globally. By combining fabricated threats to children with attacks on democratic institutions and opponents, Šlesers aims to create an information environment where facts become irrelevant and political combat becomes tribal warfare.
