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.

 

Integration and Minority Information Service
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

• Latvian First Party will defend the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration
• Latvian Association of National Cultural Societies will be supervised by the Ministry of Culture
• Article by Dr Dzintra Hirsa about integration issues
• Opponents to the education reform filed a court case against the Riga City Council
• Article about the first study on the situation of Roma in Latvia

The Board of the Latvian First Party plans to evaluate the work of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration. The Minister was nominated by the Latvian First Party. The Chairman of the Board Ainars Slesers informed that the Party will defend the Minister if there will be requests for the minister’s resignation. He admitted that Nils Muiznieks could become member of the Latvian First Party.

The Board of the Latvian First Party plans to evaluate the work of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration. The Minister was nominated by the Latvian First Party. The Chairman of the Board Ainars Slesers informed that the Party will defend the Minister if there will be requests for the ministers resignation. He admitted that Nils Muiznieks could become member of the Latvian First Party. Diena

The government adopted the decision that the state budget grants for Latvian Association of National Cultural Societies (LANCS) will be administered and controlled by the Ministry of Culture and not by the Secretariat of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration as it was before. Four Ministers of the Latvian First Party voted against this decision. Aleksandrs Brandavs, the vice-chairman of the Latvian First Party and the advisor of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration informed that the Party will discuss about further cooperation with other coalition members but that it doesn’t mean that the Party will quit the coalition. Nils Muiznieks announced that the decision is a bad example because compared to other NGOs the LANCS will be in a privileged status.

The government adopted the decision that the state budget grants for Latvian Association of National Cultural Societies (LANCS) will be administered and controlled by the Ministry of Culture and not by the Secretariat of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration as it was before. Four Ministers of the Latvian First Party voted against this decision. Aleksandrs Brandavs, the vice-chairman of the Latvian First Party and the advisor of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration informed that the Party will discuss about further cooperation with other coalition members but that it doesnt mean that the Party will quit the coalition. Nils Muiznieks announced that the decision is a bad example because compared to other NGOs the LANCS will be in a privileged status. Diena, Neatkariga, Telegraf, Vesti Segodnya, Chas

Lauku Avize features an article by Dr Dzintra Hirsa about integration issues. She criticises the work of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration. According to Dzintra Hirsa the employees of the Secretariat are not experts on ethnopolitics and therefore are not able to implement qualitative ethnic policy in Latvia. She criticises the minister for the concentration of administration of the integration institutions in one hand.

The Headquarter of the Opponents to the education reform filed a court case against the Riga City Council after the refusal to allow a protest meeting on 4th of September near the monument of the Latvian poet Janis Rainis. The Headquarter activists announced that in spite of the denial to organise the meeting it will take place as “a meeting of members of parliament with the electorate”.

The Headquarter of the Opponents to the education reform filed a court case against the Riga City Council after the refusal to allow a protest meeting on 4th of September near the monument of the Latvian poet Janis Rainis. The Headquarter activists announced that in spite of the denial to organise the meeting it will take place as a meeting of members of parliament with the electorate. Lauku Avize, Telegraf, Vesti Segodnya, Chas, Vechernaya Riga

The public policy portal

The public policy portal www.politika.lv features an article by Dace Lukumiete and Signe Martisune, the researchers of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies, about the principal conclusions of the first study on the situation of Roma in Latvia.The article in Latvian is available here.