BULGARIA is to withdraw from an international treaty designed to reduce violence against women and girls, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said today.

Mr Borissov said that his conservative Gerb party would withdraw from parliament a Bill to ratify the Istanbul Convention, citing opposition from political parties and the church.

Volen Siderov, the parliamentary leader of the far-right United Patriots, which is in coalition with Gerb, said his party would bring down the government and force new elections if it tried to ratify the women’s rights Bill.

The Istanbul Convention is primarily aimed at preventing male violence against women, particularly domestic violence, prosecuting attackers and protecting the victims. It is the first legally binding international treaty to do so.

Mr Borissov said in an interview on yesterday night that the government would adopt the convention “only if there is a consensus in Bulgarian society.” It was unclear if Bulgaria’s women, who outnumber men 100 to 95, had been asked.

The country’s opposition Socialist Party has proposed holding a referendum the hope the treaty is rejected.

Ombudsperson Maya Manolova said: “It is time to stop the hypocrisy.

“Violence against women is a huge problem for Bulgarian society. One in four women in Bulgaria is a victim of domestic violence, which means more than one million Bulgarian women. This is at the heart of the convention,” she said.

The European Women’s Lobby has urged Bulgaria to ratify the treaty.

The group also demanded that Bulgaria withdraw a promotional video for its presidency of the Council of the European Union, which starts with the disturbing comments: “When you first meet her, you might get the wrong message. Remember, here a No might mean Yes.”