• Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis: Latvia might expect a new emigration wave

At Baltic Economic Forum, the Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis has stated that Latvia might expect a new emigration wave due to economic crisis and harsh reduction of salaries in all spheres.

At Baltic Economic Forum, the Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis has stated that Latvia might expect a new emigration wave due to economic crisis and harsh reduction of salaries in all spheres. Vesti Segodnya

• Failure of „The Fatherland and Freedom/ LNIM

Diena analyses the election campaign and mistakes of the political party „For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM. Diena wonders why the party presented themselves in such an aggressive manner that was provoking trouble in society. „For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM was also calling for ethnic Latvian political parties to consolidate in order to stand against the threat of ethnic Russian parties taking over the Riga City and the Saeima.

 

• Changes in the Naturalisation Board
• PR specialist Jurgis Liepnieks: Latvia sent a dangerous geopolitical signal

Latvijas Avize reports that the Head of the Naturalisation Board Ms. Eizenija Aldermane has been elected to the Riga City Council and therefore will leave the Naturalisation Board where she spent almost 15 years. Meanwhile there are also speculations that Naturalisation Board will be merged with Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs. At the Riga City Council, Ms. Aldermane is going to work on education, national minority and human rights issues. Latvijas Avize

Latvijas Avize discusses election results with Mr. Jurgis Liepnieks, the leading PR person of the Peoples Party. Mr. Liepnieks believes elections sent a dangerous geopolitical signal, alleging that in the future, people with links to Moscow could become a part of Latvias ruling elite. He compares Latvia to a house with developing dry-rot in it. According to Mr. Liepnieks, there is no ethnic conflict between Latvians and Russians in Latvia, yet there is an issue of loyalty towards Latvian statehood, which consists of the state language, ethnic Latvian people, ethnic Latvian environment and preservation of cultural heritage. He argues the government budget cuts are sending Latvia into a downward spiral, leading to poverty, emigration and decline of education, healthcare, social provisions and public security.

• Ambassador of Russia comments on election results
• Latvijas Avize doubts if Russian can become an official language
• Latvijas Avize interviewed Director of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights Ms. Ilze Brands - Kehris

Yesterday, Ambassador of Russia Mr. Alexander Veshnjakov at the interview with BNS expressed hope that election results in Riga will stimulate co-operation between Latvia and Russia. „Voters gave support to moderate political forces. Extreme views are unacceptable for voters in Riga. We are happy that political pragmatism will allow development of relations between our countries: Mr. Alexander Veshnjakov. Chas

The leader of the Concord Centre Mr. Nils Usakovs stated that on social issues, municipal bodies in Riga should provide information also in Russian. The newspaper recalls the opinion of the Ombudsman Mr. Romans Apsitis, who concluded that public bodies dealing with social and integration issues should be permitted to provide information in foreign and minority languages. The Head of the Control Department of the State Language Centre Mr. Antons Kursitis believes that provision of communication in Russian to Russian speaking clients of municipal bodies implies discrimination against those Latvians who dont know Russian language. Latvijas Avize

Latvijas Avize interviewed Director of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights Ms. Ilze Brands – Kehris on the human rights situation in Latvia, use of Latvian flags and other symbols and on freedom of assembly.

• Analysis of the ethnic vote

Telegraf interviewed experts about apparent decline of the interest of voters towards ethnic issues. Director of the sociological bureau „Latvijas fakti” Mr. Aigars Freimanis says that „Russians started to vote for Latvian parties and Latvians for Russian parties”. According to political scientist Ms. Ilga Kreituse, „in the municipal elections and European Parliament election Latvians were voting for the Concord Centre as a protest vote against the present ruling coalition. (…) The ethnic vote was still important among the voters of the Civic Union.”. Director of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights Ms. Ilze Brands – Kehris believes that „this is a first time, when we see such decline of the ethnic vote. This is a clear progress. Unfortunately, there is also a simultaneous tendency when everyone is voting for their own community. Meanwhile, the latest election results is a very important sigh that non-ethnic vote is possible”.          

Telegraf interviewed experts about apparent decline of the interest of voters towards ethnic issues. Director of the sociological bureau „Latvijas fakti Mr. Aigars Freimanis says that „Russians started to vote for Latvian parties and Latvians for Russian parties. According to political scientist Ms. Ilga Kreituse, „in the municipal elections and European Parliament election Latvians were voting for the Concord Centre as a protest vote against the present ruling coalition. (…) The ethnic vote was still important among the voters of the Civic Union.. Director of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights Ms. Ilze Brands – Kehris believes that „this is a first time, when we see such decline of the ethnic vote. This is a clear progress. Unfortunately, there is also a simultaneous tendency when everyone is voting for their own community. Meanwhile, the latest election results is a very important sigh that non-ethnic vote is possible.