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 once again refused to grant the status of a bank holiday to the Orthodox and Old Believers’ Christmas

Yesterday, the majority of the Saeima once again refused a proposal of the Concord Centre to grant the status of a bank holiday to the Orthodox and Old Believers’ Christmas on 7 January. The proposal was supported only by the oppositional parties. Despite the fact that in the beginning of this year, the Reforms Party proposed a compromise option to set that once a year every person have the right to take one extra day-off, none of the Reforms Party members supported the Concord Centre's proposal this time. Head of the Concord Centre’s faction Valerijs Agesins stated that those MPs who voted against Orthodox Christmas spat in the face of 400,000 Latvian residents. Vesti Segodnya