Integration monitor
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.
Sept. 14, 2001
Press Report
The publishing house Vieda director, Aivars Garda stated that he is not satisfied with the response of EU Enlargement Commissioner G.Verhoigen and that he is planning to send another letter. A.Garda also informed that only four suggestions on the announced contest for amending criminal law were received in August, but that he has received news from a number of lawyers that would be ready to work out the decolonisation law and amendments to the criminal law. He did not want to reveal the names of these lawyers.The publishing house Vieda director, Aivars Garda stated that he is not satisfied with the response of EU Enlargement Commissioner G.Verhoigen and that he is planning to send another letter. A.Garda also informed that only four suggestions on the announced contest for amending criminal law were received in August, but that he has received news from a number of lawyers that would be ready to work out the decolonisation law and amendments to the criminal law. He did not want to reveal the names of these lawyers. Vesti Segodnja
Support for the European Union in Latvia has considerably increased in the last three months, with 42.7 % of the Latvian population ready to vote for joining the EU in August, up for 5.1 % since May, according to a survey carried out by SKDS. Positive attitudes towards the EU have also increased, up for 10.1% to 55% in August. The results were announced on Thursday by Edvards Kusners, director of the European Integration Bureau (EIB) in Riga, who also added that a more positive attitude towards the EU has resulted from growing support in rural regions (61.9 %), up by 22.9 % since May. In a referendum for joining the EU, 30.7 % of Latvia's population would currently vote against, compared to 37.4 % in May, while 26.6 % of the population has no opinion on the issue, compared to 25.1 % in May. Citizens of Latvia tend to have a more positive view of the EU (44 %) than non-citizens (38.4 %), while 29.9 % citizens are against joining the EU and 33.5 % non-citizens would also vote against. With the increase in Euro-optimists in August, the number of Euro-sceptics has fallen from 42.2 % in May to 35.4 % in August.
Diena, Neatkariga