• MP Ina Druviete: unity of the society should be based on Latvian national values – ethnic Latvianness, state language and culture

According to the MP, member of political union “Unity” Ina Druviete, state policy should be aimed at unity of the society based on Latvian national values – ethnic Latvianness, state language and culture. At the same time, Mrs Druviete says that it does not mean a closed system; instead it would also be open to cultures of other ethnicities. 

According to the MP, member of political union Unity Ina Druviete, state policy should be aimed at unity of the society based on Latvian national values – ethnic Latvianness, state language and culture. At the same time, Mrs Druviete says that it does not mean a closed system; instead it would also be open to cultures of other ethnicities. Latvijas Avize

• State Language Centre punished a supermarket for posters which do not comply with the State Language Law
• Head of the control department of the State Language Centre Antons: Russian speakers became more aggressive towards Latvian language
• Two administrative cases against the channel TV5 programme Un-censored
• Telegraf prints an article about closure of Russian language schools in Latvian regions.
• OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebeck asks for explanation about norms on state language usage prescribed in the Law on Electronic Mass Media
• Diena prints an article about Roma in Latvia

The State Language Centre (SLC) punished a supermarket Stockmann for posters which do not comply with the State Language Law. According to the head of the control department of the SLC Antons Kursitis the inspectors found one more store which placed posters about sale in which the text in English is written in bigger letters as in Latvian. Telegraf

Head of the control department of the State Language Centre Antons Kursitis in an interview to radical nationalists newspaper DDD stated that Russian speaking residents of Latvia became more active and aggressive towards Latvian language and language inspectors. Mr. Kursitis also believes that general attitude towards the state language changed to worse in whole country. Vesti Segodnya

The National Radio and Television Council and the State Language Centre initiated two administrative cases against the parent company of channel TV5 for the fact that in its Russian language programme Un-censored the Minister of Transportation Kaspars Gerhards was not requested to speak Russian. The TV channel is accused of violating the State Language Law and the Administrative Violations Code regarding disrespect towards Latvian language. Telegraf, Latvijas Avize, Diena

Telegraf prints an article about closure of Russian language schools in Latvian regions. According to the newspaper, there are whole regions which completely liquidated Russian language schools because existence of such schools is fully dependent on a good will of municipalities. The MP and the head of the Latvian Association for Support of Schools with Russian Language of Instructions Igors Pimenovs believes that the state does not give voting rights to those residents who could defend Russian schools.

Latvijas Avize reports that the Minister of Foreign Aivis Ronis received a letter from the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebeck asking to provide explanation about norms on state language usage prescribed in the Law on Electronic Mass Media. The Commissar questions whether representatives of ethnic minorities were consulted during the adoption of the Law. A response letter prepared by the Saeima states that representatives of ethnic minorities were invited to the second reading of the draft Law, however, none of them attended it.

Diena prints an article about Roma in Latvia. According to it many Roma who have lived in Latvia for generations emigrated from the country in search for work. A representative of Roma in an interview to the newspaper states that Roma would not leave Latvia if they would be able to find a job here. According to official statistics, there are 8,559 ethnic Roma in Latvia, however, this data allegedly does not reflect real number because large part of Roma do not show their true ethnicity in official documents.

• New publication How integrated is Latvian society
• State Language Centre might punish a supermarket for posters which do not comply with the State Language Law

Newspapers report about presentation of a new publication “How integrated is Latvian society”. The book is edited by Latvian social and political scientists. According the book’s editor, political scientist and first minister of integration Nils Muiznieks, there is progress in integration field regarding education and state language proficiency but situation became worse in labour market and social sphere. Mr. Muiznieks also believes that there is no integration policy in Latvia because there is no political demand for it. Other author of the book academician Mihails Hazans considers that Latvian society should be conditionally viewed as a new three-level model – two ethnically-linguistic groups and one combined integration group. Mr. Hazans believes that such model of a new nation will be well seen in 10 years. 

Newspapers report about presentation of a new publication How integrated is Latvian society. The book is edited by Latvian social and political scientists. According the books editor, political scientist and first minister of integration Nils Muiznieks, there is progress in integration field regarding education and state language proficiency but situation became worse in labour market and social sphere. Mr. Muiznieks also believes that there is no integration policy in Latvia because there is no political demand for it. Other author of the book academician Mihails Hazans considers that Latvian society should be conditionally viewed as a new three-level model – two ethnically-linguistic groups and one combined integration group. Mr. Hazans believes that such model of a new nation will be well seen in 10 years. Telegraf, Latvijas Avize

Telegraf reports that the State Language Centre might punish a supermarket Stockmann for posters which do not comply with the State Language Law. Text on the posters is in English and Latvian but English text is written in bigger letters than Latvian.

• Nationalistss party All for Latvia! call to suspend broadcasts of TV5 and to close programme Un-censored
• Eurostat: 17,9% of Latvian residents do not have Latvian citizenship
• Mayor of Riga City Council Nils: ethnic conflicts in Latvia are aggravated by statements of certain politicians

Nationalists’s party All for Latvia! calls on the National Radio and Television Council to suspend broadcasts of Russian language TV Channel TV5 for one week as a punishment for violation of usage of state language. The party also calls to close programme “Un-censored” and dismiss its host Andrejs Mamikins because it alleges the programme regularly insults ethnic Latvians and Latvia.

Nationalistss party All for Latvia! calls on the National Radio and Television Council to suspend broadcasts of Russian language TV Channel TV5 for one week as a punishment for violation of usage of state language. The party also calls to close programme Un-censored and dismiss its host Andrejs Mamikins because it alleges the programme regularly insults ethnic Latvians and Latvia. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

According to the “Eurostat” statistics for 2009, 17,9% of Latvian residents do not have Latvian citizenship. It is second largest proportion of residing foreign citizens and non-citizens among the EU states. 404,000 non-citizens, foreign citizens and persons whose citizenship is unknown resided in Latvia in 2009, including 9,400 EU citizens.

According to the Eurostat statistics for 2009, 17,9% of Latvian residents do not have Latvian citizenship. It is second largest proportion of residing foreign citizens and non-citizens among the EU states. 404,000 non-citizens, foreign citizens and persons whose citizenship is unknown resided in Latvia in 2009, including 9,400 EU citizens. Diena

Mayor of Riga City Council Nils Usakovs in an interview to

Mayor of Riga City Council Nils Usakovs in an interview to Neatkariga stated that ethnic conflicts in Latvia are aggravated by statements of certain politicians. According to Mr. Usakovs, the majority of those who celebrate the Victory over Nazism day are positive about Latvia and ethnic Latvians. Mr. Usakovs believes that it will be much easer to preserve Latvian language when local ethnic Russian residents will be considered as friends not enemies.

• Guest workers from Bulgaria who were employed at building the National Library are transferred to another construction object

Telegraf reports that eight guest workers from Bulgaria who were employed at building the Castle of Light National Library are transferred to another construction object. As reported, several Latvian politicians criticized the fact that enterprises, which fulfil government contracts, are hiring guest workers. Head of the enterprise building the National Library believes that such fuss around these guest workers arose because of up-coming elections.