Integration monitor is a daily Latvian press digest on ethnic minority and society integration issues. The Monitor reviews the biggest Latvian dailies: Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga (in Latvian language), Vesti Segodnya (in Russian language). In specific cases other information sources are used. Latvian Centre for Human Rights is not responsible for information published by the media.

• Saeima forwarded the draft Introduction to the Constitution of Latvia for revision to the Legal Committee

Yesterday, the majority of the Saeima forwarded the draft Introduction (in the previous versions called Preamble) to the Constitution of Latvia for revision to the Legal Committee. The revised Preamble became shorter and its author Egils Levits has taken out a notion “state nation” which was addressed to ethnic Latvians. According to the head of the Saeima’s Legal Committee Ilma Cepane, the notion of “state nation” was taken out but its meaning remained in the text. The Introduction to the Constitution says “Latvia was established uniting ethnic Latvians in historical land, based on a firm state will of ethnic Latvian nation and its irrevocable rights for self-determination in order to guarantee existence and development of ethnic Latvian nation, its language and culture through centuries, insure freedom of every person and all nations and promote welfare.” It also says that “Our identity in European cultural space was formed by of ethnic Latvian nation’s traditions and wisdom, Latvian language, universal human and Christian values.” Diena, Neatkariga, Vesti Segodnya