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.

• ECRI published its new report on Latvia
• President of Latvia Andris Berzins supports the proposal to grant the Orthodox Christian and Old Believers Christmas the status of a bank-holiday in Latvia
• Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis assigned all the ministries and other state institutions to prepare proposals for promotion of consolidation of society

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) published its new report on Latvia. According to the report, while there have been positive developments, issues of concern remain: firstly important budget cuts affecting the Ombudsman and secondly the situation of the Roma. In the report, ECRI has made a number of recommendations to the Latvian authorities, three of which require priority implementation and will be revisited by ECRI in two years’ time: endow the Ombudsman’s Office with sufficient funds and human resources, and improve its accessibility in different languages and in the different regions of Latvia; ensure a focus of the Policy Guidelines for the Integration of Society in Latvia on anti-discrimination and an open and integrated society, and provide for sufficient and timely financial resources, coordination and involvement of all relevant actors in the implementation of the guidelines; close any remaining special classes for Roma, integrate Roma pupils in mainstream classes and address the high representation of Roma children in special needs’ schools.

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) published its new report on Latvia. According to the report, while there have been positive developments, issues of concern remain: firstly important budget cuts affecting the Ombudsman and secondly the situation of the Roma. In the report, ECRI has made a number of recommendations to the Latvian authorities, three of which require priority implementation and will be revisited by ECRI in two years time: endow the Ombudsmans Office with sufficient funds and human resources, and improve its accessibility in different languages and in the different regions of Latvia; ensure a focus of the Policy Guidelines for the Integration of Society in Latvia on anti-discrimination and an open and integrated society, and provide for sufficient and timely financial resources, coordination and involvement of all relevant actors in the implementation of the guidelines; close any remaining special classes for Roma, integrate Roma pupils in mainstream classes and address the high representation of Roma children in special needs schools. Vesti Segodnya

Report on Latvia is available at:

Report on Latvia is available at: http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/ecri/library/PressReleases/100-21_02_2012_Latvia_en.asp#TopOfPage

The President of Latvia Andris Berzins supports the proposal to grant the Orthodox Christian and Old Believers’ Christmas (7 January) the status of a bank-holiday in Latvia. The faction of the Concord Centre (CC) is planning to submit the corresponding draft amendments to the Saeima repeatedly. The leader of the CC, Mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs believes that granting Orthodox Christmas status of official holiday is not ethnic or linguistic issue because there are many Orthodox ethnic Latvians and representatives of other ethnicities. But at the same time, it would be a good signal especially for Russian speaking residents. However, the two parties of the governing coalition – the Unity and the nationalists’ union All for Latvia!/FF-LNIM  - do not support the proposal. The Zatler’s Reforms Party, in its turn, proposes the draft amendments to the Labour Law allowing the employees to take one extra holiday in a year on their discretion. Representatives of the Orthodox, Lutheran and Catholic churches in Latvia, in an interview with

The President of Latvia Andris Berzins supports the proposal to grant the Orthodox Christian and Old Believers Christmas (7 January) the status of a bank-holiday in Latvia. The faction of the Concord Centre (CC) is planning to submit the corresponding draft amendments to the Saeima repeatedly. The leader of the CC, Mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs believes that granting Orthodox Christmas status of official holiday is not ethnic or linguistic issue because there are many Orthodox ethnic Latvians and representatives of other ethnicities. But at the same time, it would be a good signal especially for Russian speaking residents. However, the two parties of the governing coalition – the Unity and the nationalists union All for Latvia!/FF-LNIM - do not support the proposal. The Zatlers Reforms Party, in its turn, proposes the draft amendments to the Labour Law allowing the employees to take one extra holiday in a year on their discretion. Representatives of the Orthodox, Lutheran and Catholic churches in Latvia, in an interview with Diena, also support granting the Orthodox Christmas status of a bank-holiday. Chas, Diena, Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya

The Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis assigned all the ministries, the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau, the State Chancellery, and Society Integration Foundation to prepare the concrete proposals for promotion of consolidation of society during two weeks. The proposal should be connected with opportunities to learn Latvian language, with civil education program, and with establishment of ties with Latvians living abroad.

The Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis assigned all the ministries, the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau, the State Chancellery, and Society Integration Foundation to prepare the concrete proposals for promotion of consolidation of society during two weeks. The proposal should be connected with opportunities to learn Latvian language, with civil education program, and with establishment of ties with Latvians living abroad. Latvijas Aviz