• New President of Latvia – Raimonds Vejonis 

Yesterday, the Saeima elected Raimonds Vejonis for the post of the President of Latvia. Mr. Vejonis was elected with 55 votes for and 42 votes against. Raimonds Vejonis is currently the Minister of Defense. Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga, Vesti Segodnya

 

• Governing coalition does not support mandatory refugee quotas for Latvia
• Neatkariga prints an article about integration of third country nationals in Latvia
• Russia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry criticizes the detention of Aleksandrs Gaponenko

All the governing coalition members do not support mandatory refugee quotas for Latvia. The coalition partners wanted to stress that Latviasupports solidarity with Europebut does not support mandatory quotas for accommodation of asylum seekers and refugees. As reported, the initial proposal of the European Commission for redistribution of asylum seekers and refugees foresees accommodation of 737 persons in Latvia. Latvijas Avize

Neatkariga prints an article about the social campaign “Your People” aimed on integration of third country nationals conducted by the Society Integration Foundation. According to an expert of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights Sigita Zankovska-Odina, public opinion surveys show thatLatvia is the most unfriendly country towards immigrants in the European Union. Latvians are more likely to accept people fromRussia,Ukraine,Belorussia orMoldova, than immigrants from theMiddle East, Asian or African countries due to unfamiliar culture, traditions, religion, says Mrs. Zankovska-Odina. She also believes that the reason for intolerance towards foreigners is caused by the lack of communication with them. Director of the research centre SKDS Arnis Kaktins stresses that the majority of Latvians are very sceptical about the influx of guest workers to Latvia seeing it as a threat, competing for vacancies in the labour market.

The Russia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry criticizes the detention of an activist of the Congress of Non-citizens Aleksandrs Gaponenko. As reported, Gaponenko was detained by the Security Police for 14 hours in relation to a criminal proceeding on incitement to ethnic hatred. The Russiaconsiders that Latvia’s reaction on Gaponenko’s activities is too strong comparing with insufficient response to activities by national radicals who called to place Latvian non-citizens and disloyal Russians to ghetto. Vesti Segodnya 

• Vesti Segodnya interviews one of the candidates for the Presidents’ post Egils Levits

Vesti Segodnya interviews one of the candidates for the Presidents’ post, judge of the Court of Justice of the European Union Egils Levits. According to Mr Levits, Latvia is a state established in order to realise the right to self-determination of ethnic Latvian nation. Mr Levits believes that in order to establish a civil nation –society needs to have a common language. For Latvia this language is Latvian and it is common for all residents regardless of their nationality, religion, and native language. He believes that representatives of ethnic minorities who want to be included in the civil nation cannot live in their own ghetto, cannot live separately from ethnic Latvians and to be separated by, for instance, other language. They (ethnic minorities) should join the common language and common comprehension about the state. At the same time, they can develop their language and their culture, says Mr Levits. He stresses that those who are not proficient in Latvian language cannot participate in the Latvian democracy fully. Mr Levits also believes that basic education should be in Latvian language for all pupils in Latvia, but some subjects should be taught also in minority languages.  Regarding 9 May as the celebration day of the end of the WWII or Victory Day, Mr Levits says that ethnic Latvians cannot celebrate this day because for Latvia this was the day of the beginning of Stalin’s repressions and the day when one occupation was replaced with another. Mr Levits believes that for Latvia, the WWII has ended only in 1990 when the country’s independence got restored. 

• Aleksandrs Gaponenko was detained within criminal proceedings on incitement to ethnic hatred
• Latvia might have to accommodate 737 asylum seekers

Vesti Segodnya reports about the detention of one of the leaders of the Congress on Non-Citizens Aleksandrs Gaponenko. Mr Gaponenko was detained by the Security Police yesterday for 14 hours within criminal proceedings on incitement to ethnic hatred. According to Mr Gaponenko, the SP initiated criminal proceedings against him for a statement published on his social network profile saying: “American tanks in Latvia arrived with an aim to kill Russians.”

According to the initial proposal of the European Commission on relocation of Syrian refugees and asylum seekers from Italy and Greece to other EU member states, Latvia will have to accommodate 737 persons. This number includes accommodation of 310 asylum seekers from Italy, 207 asylum seekers from Greece, and 220 Syrian refugees. It is foreseen that every member state will receive EUR6,000 for asylum seeker accommodated on its territory. According to the Latvia Ministry of Interior, Latviaobjects introduction of “refugee quotas” system. Latvijas Avize

• State Language Centre will not punish the Mayor of Riga for his speech made in Russian language only during the unofficial celebration events on 9 May

The State Language Centre (SLC) will not punish the Mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs for his speech made in Russian language only during the unofficial celebration events of the end of WWII or Victory Day on 9 May in Riga. The SLC initiated a checking on whether the Mayor had the right to make his speech in Russian language only at a public event. The SLC concluded that the State Language Law does not foresee that state officials in public should speak in state language only. However, the SLC will also check whether the organisation which conducted the events on 9 May could be punished for not translating the Mayor’s speech into Latvian. Vesti Segodnya