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.

Integration and Minority Information Service
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

• Governing parties sign the coalition treaty
• Riga Administrative Court cancels the ban on organizing the procession on Commemoration day for the Latvian Legion
• Latvia Ministry of Foreign Affairs submits a note of protest to Russia
• Representatives of German Bundestag Committee visit Saeima
• Proposal of Saeima For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM parliamentary group to amend the European Parliament (EP) election law
• Riga minority schools have designed new educational programs
• Statements of the leader of the Latvian National Front (LNF) Aivars Garda
• About the ‘post-colonial identity of Latvia and society integration
• Latvijas Avize on possible ratification of the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities in Latvia
• Article by Maija Krumina about the recent Congress of the Defenders of Russian-language schools

Yesterday the three governing parties signed the coalition treaty, stipulating functions of the coalition parties’ factions, prime minister’s rights and obligations, as well as foreseeing the establishment of the coalition board. The board will include the Prime minister, two representatives of the Union of Farmers and Greens parliamentary faction, and three representatives of the Latvia’s First Party and Peoples Party’s factions each. The treaty stipulates that unanimous support of all members of the coalition board will be necessary for making amendments to the State Constitution and several laws, including Parliament Election law, law on State Language, law “On the Status of Former Citizens of the USSR who are Not Citizens of Latvia or Any Other State”, “Law on Election of City Council, Regional Council and Parish Council”, if amendments concern the enlargement of the electorate, and amendments to the “Law on Education”, which concern the education reform.

Yesterday the three governing parties signed the coalition treaty, stipulating functions of the coalition parties factions, prime ministers rights and obligations, as well as foreseeing the establishment of the coalition board. The board will include the Prime minister, two representatives of the Union of Farmers and Greens parliamentary faction, and three representatives of the Latvias First Party and Peoples Partys factions each. The treaty stipulates that unanimous support of all members of the coalition board will be necessary for making amendments to the State Constitution and several laws, including Parliament Election law, law on State Language, law On the Status of Former Citizens of the USSR who are Not Citizens of Latvia or Any Other State, Law on Election of City Council, Regional Council and Parish Council, if amendments concern the enlargement of the electorate, and amendments to the Law on Education, which concern the education reform. Rigas Balss, Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Chas

Riga Administrative Court has cancelled the ban of the Riga City Council to organize the procession on Commemoration day for the Latvian Legion. The leader of the nationalist youth organization “Klubs 415” (“Club 415”) Guntis Dilevs has stated that the planned procession will take place today. Union “Visu Latvijai” (“All for Latvia”) is also planning to commemorate legionnaires by laying flowers at the Freedom monument.

Riga Administrative Court has cancelled the ban of the Riga City Council to organize the procession on Commemoration day for the Latvian Legion. The leader of the nationalist youth organization Klubs 415 (Club 415) Guntis Dilevs has stated that the planned procession will take place today. Union Visu Latvijai (All for Latvia) is also planning to commemorate legionnaires by laying flowers at the Freedom monument. Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Chas, Telegraf, Vesti Segodnya

Latvia Ministry of Foreign Affairs has submitted a note to the Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressing a protest about the recent protest action of Russia national-bolsheviks against the education reform in Latvia near the embassy of Latvia in Moscow. The participants of this protest action threw burning objects at the embassy building and chained themselves to the fence of the embassy. Latvia Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called the Russia authorities not to allow the recurrence of such actions in the future.

Latvia Ministry of Foreign Affairs has submitted a note to the Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressing a protest about the recent protest action of Russia national-bolsheviks against the education reform in Latvia near the embassy of Latvia in Moscow. The participants of this protest action threw burning objects at the embassy building and chained themselves to the fence of the embassy. Latvia Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called the Russia authorities not to allow the recurrence of such actions in the future. Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya

Yesterday the representatives of German Bundestag Committee on the Affairs of the European Union visited Saeima European Affairs Committee. Ethnic policy of Latvia was discussed during the meeting.

Yesterday the representatives of German Bundestag Committee on the Affairs of the European Union visited Saeima European Affairs Committee. Ethnic policy of Latvia was discussed during the meeting. Latvijas Avize

Newspapers write about the proposal of Saeima For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM parliamentary group to amend the European Parliament (EP) election law. Proposed amendments stipulate the prohibition to stand for the EP elections for ex-officials of the State Security Committee of the Soviet Republic of Latvia and those individuals who were members of the Communist Party and related organizations after January 13, 1991.

Newspapers write about the proposal of Saeima For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM parliamentary group to amend the European Parliament (EP) election law. Proposed amendments stipulate the prohibition to stand for the EP electionsfor ex-officials of the State Security Committee of the Soviet Republic of Latvia and those individuals who were members of the Communist Party and related organizations after January 13, 1991. Diena features the opinion of representatives from the New Era and the Peoples Party, regarding this proposal as overdue. Saeima MP Aleksandrs Kabanovs (For Human Rights in the United Latvia) has stated that such proposal could cause the grave consequences for Latvia. Diena, Latvijas Avize, Telegraf, Vesti Segodnya

According to the information of the Riga City Council’s Education, Youth and Sports department, all Riga minority schools have designed new educational programs, defining subjects, which will be taught in Latvian, and specifying the teachers who will teach it. The representatives of the department believe that there will be no need for the individual transition plans for schools, but rather for the individual support  to the teachers who still doubt their own ability to teach in Latvian.

According to the information of the Riga City Councils Education, Youth and Sports department, all Riga minority schools have designed new educational programs, defining subjects, which will be taught in Latvian, and specifying the teachers who will teach it. The representatives of the department believe that there will be no need for the individual transition plans for schools, but rather for the individual support to the teachers who still doubt their own ability to teach in Latvian. Diena

Vesti Segodnya writes about the statements of the leader of the Latvian National Front (LNF) Aivars Garda, published by the newspaper of the LNF DDD, stressing that the leader of the LNF publicly calls his supporters to violence. In this article Aivars Garda states that LNF demands establishment of the armed Latvian self-defense forces, because ‘Russian-speaking fascists understand only force.

Newspapers reprint fragments of the article by Ingars Rudzitis, MA student at the Boston University’s College of Communication, published at the public policy portal

Newspapers reprint fragments of the article by Ingars Rudzitis, MA student at the Boston Universitys College of Communication, published at the public policy portal www.politika.lv , about the ‘post-colonial identity of Latvia and society integration. Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya

Latvijas Avize features an article about the possible ratification of the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities in Latvia. The author of the article believes that Latvia does not have to ratify the Convention, because ‘there are no minorities in Latvia.

Chas prints an article by Maija Krumina about the recent Congress of the Defenders of Russian-language schools and society integration. The author writes about two types of the education reform opponents – radical and moderate. According to the author, representatives of the moderate type have more or less adapted to the existing social and political reality, and many of them are citizens of Latvia. Ideas of the Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-language schools are supported by those radically-oriented Russian-speakers, who experience more pronounced political and socioeconomic inequality (lack of citizenship, unstable economic situation, lost of perspective in life).