• Vesti Segodnya reports about a web site on patriotic education of school students
• Security Police warns about possible provocations on 9 May
• Vice Rector of the Riga Technical University Mareks Zeltins calls ethnic Latvian young people to learn Russian

 Vesti Segodnya reports about a web site www.audzinasana.lv on patriotic education of school students which was created following the idea of the head of the Saeima sub-committee on patriotic education Raivis Dzintars (nationalists’ union All for Latvia!-FF/LNIM). According to the newspaper, the majority of voters on the web site believe that in order to promote patriotic education the school students should be shown films about Soviet regime crimes and heroic deeds of Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires. It was also proposed that schools should invite former Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires to speak with students about patriotism. 

 According to the Security Police, provocations might take place on 9 May (the end of WWII or Victory Day) in Riga. The Security Police prepared an action plan in case of any provocations expected mostly from ethnic Latvian and Russian national radicals. In Riga, NGO 9maja.lv organises concerts and open festive events attended mostly by Russian speaking residents. The Victory Day was official celebration day during Soviet era in Latvia and many people in the former Soviet Union continue to celebrate the victory over the Nazi Germany. The 9 May is also controversial day for Latvia as it is put in opposition to 16 March – the unofficial commemoration day of Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires.Vesti Segodnya

 The Vice Rector on international co-operation of the Riga Technical University Mareks Zeltins believes that ethnic Latvian young people loose their competitiveness due to low proficiency in Russian language which is highly demanded in Latvian labour market. Mr Zeltins believes that Russian speakers have competitive advantage over the majority of ethnic Latvians, because the Russian speakers are proficient in three languages – Latvian, Russian and English. Therefore, Mr Zeltins calls ethnic Latvian young people to learn Russian language more actively.Vesti Segodnya

• Lawyers of Latvian Human Rights Committee won three cases against the State Language Centre

 Vesti Segodnya reports about the court cases won by lawyers of an NGO Latvian Human Rights Committee (LHRC) against the State Language Centre. According to a representative of the LHRC Vladimirs Buzajevs, it is very rare when persons fined for violation of the State Language Law appeal the decision and the majority prefers just to pay the fine. In recent time, three cases were won by the LHRC lawyers in the first instance court. In one of the cases, the court ruled that the fact that the head of a small enterprise is not proficient in the state language for the highest proficiency level does not harm the legal interests of the society; and therefore, imposition of the fine is not justified. From year 2000 to 2011, the State Language Centre initiated 7,534 administrative cases. Only in 30 cases the decision was abolished and in 49 cases the procedure was terminated.

 

 

• Candidate for the Riga City Council in the up-coming elections Aleksandrs Kirsteins proposes preferential tax breaks for enterprises which use Latvian names
• Saeima’s Legal Committee worries that some unknown forces hinder the adoption of the draft amendments to the Citizenship Law

Latvijas Avize interviews a member of the nationalists’ union All for Latvia!-FF/LNIM, candidate for the Riga City Council in the up-coming elections Aleksandrs Kirsteins. Mr Kirsteins considers ethnic minorities as foreigners or refugees who should be assimilated by switching minority-language kindergartens into Latvian language only. Mr Kirsteins is disturbed by the visual information in languages other than Latvian (such as "Sony centre" or "Ad Gustum") and proposes preferential tax breaks on real estate for enterprises which use Latvian names. He believes this would show who are the masters here and what are their values. Mr Kirsteins also wants to remove the Monument to the Liberators of Riga from the Nazi Invaders from the city alleging it is a symbol of occupation, but while the Monument is still there to place an exhibition by it telling about consequences of occupation of Latvia by the USSR.

Latvijas Avize reports that the MPs, members of the Saeima’s Legal Committee worry that some unknown forces hinder the adoption of the draft amendments to the Citizenship Law by spreading false information about it. According to representatives of the Committee it has received some critical remarks from different associations and institutions about the draft law from which it is clear that there is misunderstanding about the draft amendments. In particular, there is some misunderstanding about who will be allowed to have dual citizenship with Latvia, as well as about the procedure of registering children of non-citizens as Latvian citizens.

• Discussion on integration of immigrant children held by the National Integration Centre
• Human Rights Committee decided to establish a special working group on elaboration of the draft law banning usage of totalitarian symbols in public
• OCMA checks whether Latvian millionaire Sergejs Zaharjins legally received Latvian citizenship

 Latvijas Avize reports about a discussion “How Open is Education in Latvia” held by the National Integration Centre about integration of immigrant children. According to a director of one of the Riga schools, in general, there are no big problems hindering schools from accepting immigrant children, however, it would be useful to establish a special school for immigrants to attend during the first couple of months after arrival to Latvia. Such school could help to adapt to Latvian education system and learn Latvian language. Expert on education policy Ligita Grigule supported the idea that the future teachers should learn during their education process special skills to work with immigrants. At present, there are 546 immigrant children studying in Latvian schools, majority of them are from Russia (138), the United Kingdom (45), Germany (45), the U.S.A (26).

The Saeima’s Human Rights Committee decided to establish a working group on elaboration of the draft amendments to the Law "On the Security of Public Entertainment and Festive Events." As reported, initially, the aim of the draft law was to ban public usage of the symbols of the USSR, Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic and the Nazi Germany. According to Vesti Segodnya, it is expected that the draft law will include more specific definition of what kind of symbols should be prohibited. Vesti Segodnya

Vesti Segodnya reports that the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA) verifies whether the head of the board of the biggest Latvian metallurgical enterprise “Liepajas Metalurgs”, millionaire Sergejs Zaharjins legally received Latvian citizenship. The verification was initiated after the complaint to state police submitted by some person who asserts that the state language proficiency of Mr Zaharjins is too low. Sergejs Zaharjins received Latvian citizenship trough naturalisation procedure in 1999.

 

• MP Aleksandrs Sakovskis: interethnic relations are set to deteriorate, because the relevant key positions are occupied by the radical nationalists who determine the agenda

 

MP and the member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Aleksandrs Sakovskis stated that the interethnic relations in Latvia are set to deteriorate, because all the key positions relevant to the integration of society are occupied by the representatives of the radical nationalists union "All for Latvia! - For Fatherland and Freedom / Latvian National Independence Movement" (AL!FF/LNIM): Inara Murniece, one of the harshest supporters of the ban on the Soviet symbols is a chairperson of the Saeima's Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee, while the Ministry of Justice (lead by Janis Bordans) provides legal expertise for the draft laws, and the Ministry of Culture, which is in charge of society integration policies, is lead by Zaneta Jaunzeme-Grende. MP Raivis Dzintars, the co-chairperson of AL!FF/LNIM who was involved in the incident at the Freedom Monument on 16 March 2013 (the unofficial commemoration day of Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires), is in charge of patriotic education. There are no prospects for integration improvements as long as AL!FF/LNIM ideologues de-facto determine the agenda. Vesti Segodnya