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.

• Head of the State Language Centre Maris Baltins: arguments for provision of public information in Russian are demagogy which sends people the wrong signal 

Diena interviews the head of the State Language Centre (SLC) Maris Baltins. Last year, the SLC inspectors fined 769 natural persons for insufficient usage of the state language at work, including around 50 teachers of minority schools. According to Mr Baltins, the SLC is not a repressive institution and most of the fines are lowest possible: 35 Euros. There are 18 language inspectors at the SLC and each of them is engaged in checking complaints and fulfilling certain control programme. Some deputies of municipalities are not sufficiently proficient in the state language and the SLC is likely to file court applications to deprive such deputies of the mandates of their voters. The SLC is opposed to distribution of important public information in Russian. The head of the Oncology patients’ association "Dzivibas koks" (Lifetree) Gunita Berke believes it is important to provide information about the screening also in Russian language, because the main risk group for breast cancer are women above 50 years of age and many people in this category are not so fluent in the state language as to understand medical information. Provision of information in Russian would increase the response rate. Mr Baltins dismisses this argument as a demagogy which sends people the wrong signal: learn Latvian, but if there is some important information we will address you in the language you understand. Mr Baltins does not see a "high aim" of such approach, believes it will discourage people from learning the state language and in no other country public communication with the society could take place in a language other than the state language.