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.

• Vesti Segodnya interviews the Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte about integration policy.
• Latvijas Avize: the Concord Centre is the only Saeimas faction which publicly criticized the collection of signatures in support of granting Russian language official status
• Latvijas Avize prints an interview with the ex-Ombudsman Romans Apsitis
• Host of the programme No-Censorship Andrejs Mamikins refused to speak in Russian to the MP Valerijs Kravcovs

Vesti Segodnya interviews the Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte about integration policy. The Minister states that immigrants are those who arrived to Latvia three generations ago and those who arrived recently. At the same time, Mrs Elerte states that immigrants are those who live in Latvia and do not use Latvian language and do not have interest to get accustomed with ethnic Latvian values. […] The other part of the persons got assimilated and the part became ethnic minority.

According to

According to Latvijas Avize, the only Saeimas faction which publicly criticized the collection of signatures in support of granting Russian language official status in Latvia is the Concord Centre. Others parties, including the governing coalition abstain from public statements on the issue believing that the radicals will not collect the sufficient amount of signatures anyway.

Latvijas Avize prints an interview with the ex-Ombudsman Romans Apsitis. Regarding the collection of signatures in support of granting Russian language official status Mr. Apsitis states the Constitution says that the state language is Latvian so activities against it are anti-constitutional and competent state institution should do something about it.

The MP Valerijs Kravcovs (Concord Centre) left the broadcast studio of the Russian language channel TV5’s programme “No-Censorship” shortly after its beginning because its host Andrejs Mamikins refused to speak to him in Russian. Mr. Kravcovs is known as an MP with poor Latvian proficiency. Valerijs Kravcovs came to the programme on 16 March in order to speak about attitude towards procession of legionnaires, language inspections and his work in the Saeima, however, Mr. Mamikins spoke to Kravcovs only in Latvian and the MP left the studio. The programme’s host justifies the accident by the fact that only live programmes can be broadcasted in Russian language, while, recorded programmes must be in Latvian language or with Latvian subtitles. “It was Kravcovs’ condition that he will take part only in the record of the programme – says Mr. Mamikins - programme with Mr. Kravcovs had to be recorded shortly before the broadcast so there was no time to put subtitles and it was decided to conduct the programme in Latvian.”

The MP Valerijs Kravcovs (Concord Centre) left the broadcast studio of the Russian language channel TV5s programme No-Censorship shortly after its beginning because its host Andrejs Mamikins refused to speak to him in Russian. Mr. Kravcovs is known as an MP with poor Latvian proficiency. Valerijs Kravcovs came to the programme on 16 March in order to speak about attitude towards procession of legionnaires, language inspections and his work in the Saeima, however, Mr. Mamikins spoke to Kravcovs only in Latvian and the MP left the studio. The programmes host justifies the accident by the fact that only live programmes can be broadcasted in Russian language, while, recorded programmes must be in Latvian language or with Latvian subtitles. It was Kravcovs condition that he will take part only in the record of the programme – says Mr. Mamikins - programme with Mr. Kravcovs had to be recorded shortly before the broadcast so there was no time to put subtitles and it was decided to conduct the programme in Latvian. Chas, Diena