• Latvijas Avize prints an article about one of the leaders of the Congress of Non-Citizens Elizabete Krivcova

Latvijas Avize prints an article about one of the leaders of the Congress of Non-Citizens Elizabete Krivcova. According to the newspaper, Mrs Krivcova is also a member of the political party the Concord Centre (CC), works in the Parliament as an advisor of the CC faction and deputy’s assistant, is a board member in a public organisation “Rights Institute “Conscentia”” and in the Community of Russians in Latvia. The Security Police in its recent Annual Report 2013 mentioned Mrs Krivcova as one of the main activists implementing Russia’s policy on compatriots in Latvia. Head of the CC faction in the Saeima Janis Urbanovics in an interview with the newspaper says that Mrs Krivcova is not a radical person and is involved in the Congress of Non-Citizens believing that the issues of non-citizens is very important in Latvia. At the same time, Mr Urbanovis says that if the Congress of Non-Citizens radicalises she might be forced to decide where to stay. Other members of the CC also do not see any contradiction in the fact the E.Krivcova is a member of political party and activist in different organisations.

• Newspapers provide updated provisional results of the elections to the European Parliament in Latvia

According to the updated provisional results of the elections to the European Parliament (EP) in Latvia, the leading ruling party Unity received 46,19% of the votes (provisionally – 4 (half of the seats allocated to Latvia)), the nationalists’ union All for Latvia!/FF-LNIM – 14.25%, the Concord – 13,04%, the Union of Green and Farmers – 8.26%, the Latvia's Russian Union – 6,38% (provisionally – 1 seat each), while other parties did not overcome the threshold. Altogether, 30,25% of the eligible voters or 445,493 citizens participated in the elections to the EP in Latvia. Most likely, Latvia will be represented in the EP by the following persons: Valdis Dombrovskis (or Inese Vaidere if Dombrovskis takes the post in the European Commission), Sandra Kalniete, Artis Pabriks, Arturs Krisjanis-Karins (all representing the Unity), Roberts Zile (nationalists’ union), Andrejs Mamikins (the Concord), Iveta Grugule (Union of Green and Farmers), and Tatjana Zdanoka (Latvia's Russian Union). Latvijas Avize, Diena

• Newspapers report about the provisional results of elections to the EU Parliament in Latvia
• Parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee completed the work on the draft Introduction to Constitution 

Newspapers report about the provisional results of elections to the EU Parliament in Latvia. According to exit-polls, the leading ruling party Unity received 31% of the votes (provisionally – 4 (half of the seats allocated to Latvia)), Concord Centre – 13%, All for Latvia! For Fatherland and Freedom / Latvian National Independence Movement – 12%, Union of Green and Farmers – 6%, Latvia's Russian Union – 6% (provisionally – 1 seat each), while other parties did not overcome the threshold. Altogether, 30% of the eligible voters participated in the elections to the EU Parliament in Latvia. Diena, NRA, Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya 

Parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee completed the work on the draft Introduction to Constitution (Preamble) before submitting it to the Parliament for the final reading. The suggestion to revert the term "state nation" was rejected, because the term "ethnic Latvian nation" was already introduced in its place. The author of the Introduction to the Constitution Egils Levits called the politicians to use this term more often, in order to promote its understanding in the society. The Parliament will consider the draft on 5 June 2014. Latvijas Avize

• Congress of Ukrainians in Latvia asks the Minister of Justice to ban political party the Union of Russians in Latvia
• Latvijas Avize: deputies of all Saeima’s factions believes a study about the mood of Russian speaking residents in Latvia should be publicly available

One of the Ukrainian NGOs in Latvia - the Congress of Ukrainians in Latvia appealed to the Minister of Justice Baiba Broka, asking to ban political party the Union of Russians in Latvia. The Congress of Ukrainians alleges that the leader of the Union of Russians in Latvia Tatjana Zdanoka committed several activities against independence of Latvian state.

According to Latvijas Avize, deputies of all Saeima’s factions believes that results of a study about the mood of Russian speaking residents in Latvia commissioned by the government should be publicly available. Newspapers reported that the government commissioned a secret study and may not publish all its results arguing that it is related to state security. In an interview with the newspaper, head of the Saeima’s National Security Committee Valdis Zatlers (Reforms Party) who took part in the government’s session which took the decision to commission the study, denies that it was categorised as "secret"; however, Mr Zatlers also does not say who will conduct the study and how much will it cost. The MP Karlis Serzants (Union of Greens and Farmers) says that there is no reason to make such study a secret because it would raise tension in the society and doubt the results. The MP Janis Dombrava (nationalists’ union) assumes that the government is afraid that the results of the study may reveal unpleasant truth about disloyal residents and therefore wants to keep the study secret.

• Concord Centre sent an inquiry to the Prime Minister asking to explain why the planned study on attitude of Russian speaking residents in Latvia is kept in secret
• During 10 years of EU membership, Latvia received 33 recommendations to soften language legislation
• 3,300 persons received dual citizenship with Latvia since 1 October 2013
• Congress of Non-Citizens complained to the Secretary General of the NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen about the Annual Report 2013 of the Security Police.
• Latvijas Avize reports about a discussion organised by the Congress of Non-Citizens

Vesti Segodnya reports that the Saeima’s faction of the Concord Centre has sent an inquiry to the Prime Minister asking to explain why the planned study on attitude of Russian speaking residents in Latvia is kept in secret. According to the head of the faction, MP Valerijs Agesins, there is department of society integration at the Ministry of Culture and it should have conducted such research a while ago. The Saeima’s Vice Speaker Inese Libina-Egnera (Reforms Party), in her turn, believes that if the content and conclusions of the study are connected with the issue of national security it’s customer (the government) can take the decision whether the results will be available publicly or not.

Latvian Human Rights Committee compiled a list of all 33 recommendations to soften language legislation given by various international organisations to Latvia since entry into the European Union. According to Aleksandrs Kuzmins, the number of language examinations at workplaces, the number of administrative cases and fines by the State Language Centre has grown by 29-42% during the last two years; most language examinations were motivated by anonymous accusations yet the language inspectors do not investigate whether the alleged violations indeed taken place. Vesti Segodnya

3,300 persons received dual citizenship with Latvia since 1 October 2013 when the legal provisions allowing dual citizenship came into force. 2,400 of those are children of Latvian citizens who were born abroad, 626 – exiles who reside in U.S.A., Canada, Australia, Israel and Russia. Latvijas Avize

The Congress of Non-Citizens sent a letter to Secretary General of the NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen complaining about the Annual Report 2013 of the Security Police. As reported, the Security Police in its report announced that the Congress of Non-Citizens and its activists pose major threat for Latvian state alleging that they are one of the most active supporters of the Russia’s policy on compatriots in Latvia. In the appeal to the Secretary General Mr. Fogh Rasmussen, the Congress says that the Security Police interprets as "threats" activities by the Congress like criticism of the government, protection of ethnic minorities’ rights, maintaining contacts with the UN, European Commission, and embassies of western countries.Latvijas Avize

Latvijas Avize reports about a discussion organised by the Congress of Non-Citizens. In the framework of the discussion, as one of the new integration instruments it was proposed to establish the day of society consolidation. It was also proposed to conduct an action similar to the protest action against sexism when girls are dressed as boys and boys as girls. In such action ethnic Latvians would speak Russian and Russians would speak Latvian – or representative of different ethnic belonging would swap places.