(Bloomberg) -- Slovak lawmakers asked the government to pull out from an international agreement on tackling violence against women as the ruling parties adopt a conservative agenda to win over voters before next year's election.
Parliament in the capital Bratislava voted 101-28 to pass a resolution that forces the government to halt the ratification of the so-called Istanbul Convention, which asks member countries to protect women against all types of violence and eliminate gender stereotypes. The motion was proposed by a junior coalition member, the Slovak National Party, which said the treaty with its definition of gender contradicts the Slovak constitution.
The Council of Europe's agreement, which came into force almost five years ago, has returned to public debate as the country prepares for Saturday presidential election. Liberal activist and an opposition candidate Zuzana Caputova is a front runner, with an agenda that includes support for gay rights and multicultural ideas.
Read more: Double Murder and Anti-Graft Rage to Cast the Die in Slovak Vote
The government's candidate, Maros Sefcovic, has embraced what he calls the protection of Christian values but has so far failed to close a wide gap in opinion polls behind Caputova, who remains on track to become the country's first woman president.
To reverse its falling popularity, the ruling coalition led by the leftist Smer party seeks to appeal to conservative voters in a predominantly Catholic country. Slovakia is among a minority of European Union members that don't allow gay partnerships.
To contact the reporter on this story: Radoslav Tomek in Bratislava at rtomek@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Andrea Dudik at adudik@bloomberg.net, Peter Laca, Balazs Penz
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