• President Andris Berzins: Constitutional amendments stipulating granting Russian language status of a state language are anti-constitutional

The President of Latvia Andris Berzins forwarded the draft Constitutional amendments stipulating granting Russian language status of a state language to the Parliament. The President attached to the draft amendments a cover letter addressed to the Speaker of the Saeima Solvita Aboltina stating that granting Russian language status of the state language is the denial of Latvia as national state and such amendments contradict the core of the Constitution of Latvia and basic principles of establishment of Latvia and restoration of independence. The President also stated that he is ready to be actively engaged in the consolidation of the society. Latvijas Avize, Chas

• Neatkariga prints an article about problems of integration of refuges and persons with alternative status in Latvia
• Citizens of Non-existent State issued by the Latvian Human Rights Committee
• Official results: 187,378 signatures were collected in support of granting Russian language status of a state language in Latvia

Neatkariga prints an article about problems of integration of refugees and persons with alternative status in Latvia. Newspaper interviews an Afghani woman who received alternative status in Latvia. The woman and her little child have no permanent place of residence, no job and no means for living because the time when the state granted her benefit ended. According to the head of an NGO Shelter. Safe House Sandra Zalcmane, there is no integration policy of refugees and persons granted alternative status in Latvia. There are no language courses and adaptation system which could help such people to adjust to residence in the country. Mrs Zalcmane states that the state put all the responsibility for this issue on short projects mostly funded by the European Refugee Fund and some NGOs.

The Latvian Human Rights Committee presented its study Citizens of Non-existent State about Latvian non-citizens. The study gives overview about large scale non-citizenship in Latvia, provides statistical and historical analyses of situation non-citizens. The study also gives a selection of international recommendation on rights of non-citizens and highlights the list of 80 differences in the rights of citizens and Latvian non-citizens. Vesti Segodnya

According to the official results of the Central Election Committee (CEC), 187,378 signatures were collected during the state funded collection of signatures in support of the Constitutional amendments stipulating granting Russian language status of a state language in Latvia. The CEC forwarded the amendments to the President of Latvia and the President forwarded those to the Saeima. As reported, most likely the Parliament will turn down the amendments and the national referendum will be initiated. More than a half of citizens who have right to vote (i.e. more than 770,000) must support the amendments at the referendum in order for the amendments to be approved. Telegraf, Latvijas Avize, Diena, Vesti Segodnya

• Minister of Education and Science Roberts Kilis met with integration experts

The Minister of Education and Science Roberts Kilis held a meeting with integration experts. The Minister heard the invited experts about the current situation in Latvia provoked by the collection of signatures in support of the Constitutional amendments granting Russian the status of a state language. The experts unanimously agreed that support for the initiative was a protest vote against the fact that ethnic minorities are excluded from public administration in Latvia. The experts highlighted that understanding needs to be shown to the interests of the dissatisfied part of the society. The Minister plans to hold regular meetings with integration experts.

The Minister of Education and Science Roberts Kilis held a meeting with integration experts. The Minister heard the invited experts about the current situation in Latvia provoked by the collection of signatures in support of the Constitutional amendments granting Russian the status of a state language. The experts unanimously agreed that support for the initiative was a protest vote against the fact that ethnic minorities are excluded from public administration in Latvia. The experts highlighted that understanding needs to be shown to the interests of the dissatisfied part of the society. The Minister plans to hold regular meetings with integration experts. Diena, Latvijas Avize

• Saeima refused the draft amendments to the State Language Law introducing the notion of ethnic minority language
• Proposal to grant state funding for a campaign in support of Latvian as the only state language

The Saeima refused the draft amendments to the State Language Law introducing the notion of ethnic minority language proposed by the Concord Centre (CC). The CC called these draft amendments a compromise solution for the language issues. The CC proposed to widen opportunities to use minority languages in communication with public authorities in areas where minority population comprise more than 20% of the residents, as well as to revoke reservations made by Latvia when ratifying the Council of Europes Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. Latvijas Avize, Telegraf

The MP Artis Kampars (the Unity) and the Saeimas Speaker Solvita Aboltina, on the threshold of the national referendum on granting Russian language status of state language in Latvia, propose to hold a public campaign in support of the Latvian language as the only state language funded by state means. The politicians believe Latvian language is one of pillars of the Latvian state and it is logical to grant state funding for its protection. One of the initiators of the campaign of granting Russian status of state language Vladimirs Lindermans, in his turn stated that if the state funding is granted for such campaign, he will initiate the new collection of signatures in support of dissolution of the Parliament. Vesti Segodnya

 

• Ombudsman Juris Jansons: differences in rights of Latvian citizens and non-citizens are not discriminatory
• Ethnic Latvians members of the political party Concord Centre criticize nationalism and support the Mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs
• Latvian Human Development Report 2010/2011 focuses on the indicators of national identity

The Ombudsman Juris Jansons stated that the differences in rights of Latvian citizens and non-citizens are not discriminatory. According to the Ombudsman, the status of non-citizen is not the type of Latvian citizenship, while the large number of persons who still remain Latvian non-citizens testifies that those persons are satisfied with the amount of rights envisaged by such status. The Ombudsman alleges that these persons still believe in the restoration of their former country in its previous borders. Mr Jansons also stated that he does not support granting non-citizens voting rights in local election and believed that the decrease of the number of non-citizens is not an end goal in itself.

The Ombudsman Juris Jansons stated that the differences in rights of Latvian citizens and non-citizens are not discriminatory. According to the Ombudsman, the status of non-citizen is not the type of Latvian citizenship, while the large number of persons who still remain Latvian non-citizens testifies that those persons are satisfied with the amount of rights envisaged by such status. The Ombudsman alleges that these persons still believe in the restoration of their former country in its previous borders. Mr Jansons also stated that he does not support granting non-citizens voting rights in local election and believed that the decrease of the number of non-citizens is not an end goal in itself. Vesti Segodnya, Chas

Ethnic Latvians members of the political party Concord Centre came with a statement criticizing nationalism and supporting the Mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs. According to the statement, it is obvious “that Latvian language will remain the only state language in Latvia, however, the development of the state is not possible without respectful attitude towards ethnic minorities. The Mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs signed for the initiative to grant Russian status of a state language in Latvia as a protest against the actions of the governing coalition.” Vesti

Ethnic Latvians members of the political party Concord Centre came with a statement criticizing nationalism and supporting the Mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs. According to the statement, it is obvious that Latvian language will remain the only state language in Latvia, however, the development of the state is not possible without respectful attitude towards ethnic minorities. The Mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs signed for the initiative to grant Russian status of a state language in Latvia as a protest against the actions of the governing coalition. Vesti Segodnya

Academic Brigita Zepa presented a Latvian Human Development Report 2010/2011 “National Identity, Mobility, Capacity” conducted by the Institute of Social and Political Studies of the University of Latvia.  Opinion polls conducted in the framework of the Report showed that 44% of ethnic Latvians believe that it would be better if only ethnic Latvians would reside in it. 33% of ethnic Russian residents of Latvia associate themselves with Russia and 72% with Latvia. Only 22% of representatives of both ethnic Russian and ethnic Latvian residents associate themselves with Europe. 70,5% of ethnic Latvians are proud of Latvia, while 22% are not proud. Among ethnic Russian respondents 44,4% are proud of Latvia and 43% are not proud. Among persons of other ethnic background 48,2% are proud and 42% are not proud of Latvia.

Academic Brigita Zepa presented a Latvian Human Development Report 2010/2011 National Identity, Mobility, Capacity conducted by the Institute of Social and Political Studies of the University of Latvia. Opinion polls conducted in the framework of the Report showed that 44% of ethnic Latvians believe that it would be better if only ethnic Latvians would reside in it. 33% of ethnic Russian residents of Latvia associate themselves with Russia and 72% with Latvia. Only 22% of representatives of both ethnic Russian and ethnic Latvian residents associate themselves with Europe. 70,5% of ethnic Latvians are proud of Latvia, while 22% are not proud. Among ethnic Russian respondents 44,4% are proud of Latvia and 43% are not proud. Among persons of other ethnic background 48,2% are proud and 42% are not proud of Latvia. Vesti Segodnya