There is no consent without a ‘yes’

On Monday, 27 April 2026, MEP Irena Joveva took part in a plenary debate on the importance of non-consensual rape legislation in the European Union, where she stressed that the concept of consent should be understood simply – ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

In her introduction, the MEP highlighted the Istanbul Convention, which clearly states that rape is any sexual act without free and explicit consent, which has been signed by all Member States but has still not been uniformly transposed into national criminal law.

She pointed out that this is primarily a question of political will and was critical of countries that support the convention on a declarative level but do not put its principles into practice:

“The will of those who have clearly forgotten that without a clear yes – there is nothing. That silence is not consent. That fear is not consent. And that the inability to say ‘no’ in no way means ‘yes’.”

In conclusion, Joveva stated that, in her opinion, the decision should not be a matter of complicated legal debates, but rather a clear choice between protecting victims or not protecting them.