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.

• Newspapers continue to write about comments on the statement of the prospective Commissioner for Freedom, Security and Justice Rocco Buttiglione about violation on non-citizens rights in Latvia
• Interview with the director of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies Ilze Brands-Kehris
• Article by the communication student of the Riga Stradins University Svetlana Nekrepkina about the identity of Russians living in Latvia

Diena features an article about attempts of the member of the European Parliament Tatjana Zdanoka to misinterpret the statement of the prospective Commissioner for Freedom, Security and Justice Rocco Buttiglione concerning violation of non-citizens rights in Latvia. Rocco Buttiglione expressed concern about the situation of Latvian non-citizens, in particular, that they do not have the right to participate in municipal elections. The prospective commissioner stated that the issue probably should be looked into by the European Court of Justice of European Communities. While Tatjana Zdanoka has issued a press release where she has welcomed the ‘firm determination of the Rocco Buttiglione to tackle discrimination against the citizenship rights of EU residents and his ‘promise to use the power of the European Commission to solve the issue. In her statement Latvia has been described as the country where ‘Russian-speakers make up some 40% of the population but are denied many basic rights and ‘half of them have the status of non-citizens of Latvia. Latvijas Avize features opinions of state officials. They say that the statements of the commissioner are too abstract and hence show that he lacks information about the real situation in Latvia. Diena

Vesti Segodnya features an interview with the director of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies (LCHRES) Ilze Brands-Kehris about social integration issues. Ilze Brands-Kehris states that allegations that granting non-citizens the right to participate in municipal elections could slow down the naturalisation process are demagogic. According to Ilze Brands-Kehris Latvian non-citizens may have the right already for municipal elections taking place in 2009. When asked to comment on the education reform, the LCHRESs director stresses that both Latvian and Russian parents should have more possibilities to choose the ratio of languages of instruction. Ilze Brands-Kehris also emphasised that the stereotype that Russians are against the Latvian language should be broken and that the language issue should be viewed from a different perspective – all children should speakmore languages.

Diena prints an article by the communication student of the Riga Stradins University Svetlana Nekrepkina about the identity of Russians living in Latvia. According to the author, the identity of Russians is under construction now. Svetlana Nekrepkina states that Russians feel strangers in both countries – in Russia and in Latvia. Latvias Russians cannot identify themselves with Latvians because of their different ethnic origin, while mentality of Russians in Russia differs from mentality of Latvias Russians.