• Radical nationalist Mayor candidate proposes to liquidate minority kindergarten programmes and introduce higher taxes for foreign real estate buyers
• Anonymous informers of the State Language Centre publish personal information of persons allegedly lacking state language proficiency

 

Newspapers report about the Congress of the radical nationalist union "All for Latvia!-For Fatherland and Freedom / Latvian National Independence Movement" (AfL!-FF/LNIM) held on 9 March 2013. The leader of the union MP Raivis Dzintars emphasised that the union is strengthening its positions. The greatest challenges to the union are demographics, national ethnic culture, social justice and ethnic Latvianness. The Minister of Welfare Ilze Vinkele (Unity) got criticised for being "keen on solving pseudo-problems" of changing children gender identity while ignoring low birthrate in Latvia (the lowest in the EU). The union's candidate to the post of the Mayor of Riga Baiba Broka presented the action programme for the Riga municipality. Mrs. Broka proposes to liquidate minority kindergarten programmes and introduce higher taxes for foreigners, who buy real estate in Riga in order to receive residence permits in Latvia. Mrs Broka is disappointed about the fact that the Unity and the Reform Party did not respond to the call to strengthen the cooperation of "ethnically Latvian" parties in Riga municipality. Diena, Latvijas Avize, NRA, Vesti Segodnya

 

Vesti Segodnya reports that informers of the State Language Centre publish personal information and other details of persons or organisations accused of insufficient state language usage or proficiency: names, employment positions, names or registration numbers of the enterprises. Informers remain anonymous. According to the information of the State Language Centre, the number of complaints about insufficient usage or proficiency in the state language has increased 12-fold since 2005. 

• Latvijas Avize: Ministry of Education and Science did not leave the idea to wider usage of foreign languages in state funded higher education establishments

Latvijas Avize reports that the draft amendments to the Law on Higher Education Establishments submitted for the revision at the meeting of the State Secretaries by the Ministry of Education and Science foresee wider usage of not only the EU official languages but also of other foreign languages in the state funded higher education establishments. The draft amendments stipulate that a foreign language which is not the EU official language can be used in implementation of study programs starting with bachelor’s degree if there is a study program with the same content also implemented in Latvian language.  The draft amendments also stipulate that the final and state examinations could be taken in a foreign language as well as bachelor’s, master’s, qualification and promotion papers could be written in a foreign language. The Ministry explained that such amendments would promote competitiveness of the state funded higher education establishments. However, there are many objections against such amendment. Thus, the head of the Saeima’s Education, Culture and Science Committee, MP Inna Druviete stated that such system is unacceptable because it contradicts state language policy and she will do everything to prevent it.

• MP Valerijs Agesins asks the General Prosecutor to evaluate whether the statements of the MP Raivis Dzintars about enemies of Latvia incite ethnic hatred
• Nationalists’ union wants to introduce punishment for public blasphemy of the state language
• Municipality of Riga is planning to get involved in a project on promotion of communication between immigrants and the host community

MP, member of the Concord Centre Valerijs Agesins appealed to the General Prosecutor asking to evaluate whether the statements of the MP, leader of the nationalists’ union Raivis Dzintars about enemies of Latvia incite ethnic hatred. As reported, Mr Dzintars in an interview with Neatkariga on 27 February stated that there are a huge number of the state’s enemies reside in Latvia and they will betray the country at the first opportunity. Vesti Segodnya, Neatkariga

The nationalists’ union All for Latvia!-FF/LNIM wants to introduce punishment for public blasphemy of the state language. The nationalists propose to introduce amendments to the Criminal Law equating blasphemy of the state language to the blasphemy of other state symbols (flag, anthem, blazon).

Latvijas Avize reports that municipality of Riga is planning to get involved in a project on promotion of communication between immigrants and the host community. The project would promote communication based on mutual respect and ensure equal treatment, provision of services and other important issues.

 

• 45-50 years old Russian speaking women feel the most insecure in Latvia
• Founding meeting of the Congress of Non-Citizens will be held on 23 March
• Unity proposes to transfer education in all Riga kindergartens into Latvian language only

According to a portrait of human security, Russian speaking women aged 45-50 who live in Latgale region or Riga and have average income are the group of people who feel themselves most insecure in Latvia. These women are not engaged in any public organisations and relay only on themselves. The portrait was drawn in a research “Human Security in Latvia and the World: from idea to practice” conducted in the framework of a project “National Identity” within State research program. Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga

Newspapers report that the founding meeting of the Congress of Non-Citizens will be held on 23 March.  According to one of the initiators of the Congress Elizabete Krivcova, the aim is to establish self-government of non-citizens which will be a legitimate representative of 300,000 non-citizens in Latvia. The Congress wants to take part in various sessions and meetings of the government and municipal councils representing opinion of non-citizens and lobbying their interests. Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize

The political party Unity proposes to transfer gradually education in all Riga kindergartens into Latvian language only. According to the Unity, there are cases when ethnic Latvians are forced to send their children to Russian language kindergartens because all Latvian language kindergartens are full. However, according to a representative of the Education, Culture and Sports Department of the Riga City Council, all groups in Latvian and Russian language kindergartens are full. 60% or 2,191 children are waiting for a place in Latvian language kindergarten group, 27% or 986 children are waiting for Russian language group, and 13% or 475 children are waiting for a place in one or the other language group. In total, there are 728 Latvian language groups and 585 minority language groups in Riga. Latvijas Avize

 

 

• Residence permits in Latvia become more popular among citizens of China
• Administrative Regional Court refused a claim of Vladimirs Lindermans in his case against the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs
• Neatkariga: Ministers of the nationalists’ union will not take part in the processions on 16 March

An opportunity to receive a residence permit in Latvia in exchange for investments becomes more popular among citizens of the People’s Republic of China and nationals of other countries. Up to now, 155 citizens of China received residence permits in Latvia. Since the adoption of the relevant legal provisions, in total, residence permits were issued to more than 4,500 foreigners, who invested about LVL 300 millions in Latvia. Vesti Segodnya

The Administrative Regional Court refused a claim of Vladimirs Lindermans in his case against the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA.) The case began in 2010, when Mr Lindermans applied for naturalisation but the OCMA refused the application arguing that he has no right to apply for Latvian citizenship because he did not reside in Latvia during the last five years continuously. Mr Lindermans, in his turn, argued that the legal acts say that the applicant for naturalisation should reside in Latvia at least five years but the word continuously is not mentioned. Initially, Mr Lindermans appealed the OCMA’s decision in the Administrative District Court of Riga which satisfied the claim and ordered the OCMA to accept Lindermans’ application. However, the OCMA appealed the decision. Latvijas Avize

According to Neatkariga, the Ministers representing the nationalists’ union All for Latvia!-FF/LNIM will not take part in the processions on 16 March (unofficial commemoration day of Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires) due to other scheduled events. The President of Latvia Andris Berzins also will be on a foreign visit on this day. However, the majority of the MPs from the nationalists’ union are planning to take part in the procession. The Security Police expects the 16 March events will pass safely this year.