Integration and Minority Information Service
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

• Three ruling parties ask the party New Era to nominate another candidate to the post of Prime Minister
• Experts of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Committee meet with the Latvian officials and NGO representatives
• Integration experts about Euro-skepticism of Riga and Latgale residents
• Alfreds Rubiks, the leader of the Socialist Party questions the results of the referendum
• The letter of M. Bekasov from the Socialist Party about minority discrimination has not attracted the attention of the European Parliament
• Representatives of the Headquarters for the Defense of Russian Schools are visiting the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
• The first deputy minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia suggests the grater consideration should be given by Russia to the use of economic sanctions to other states as a means of ensuring the observance of human rights of compatriots
• The decision of the Supreme Court to deprive a Latvian citizen of the right to Latvian citizenship

Yesterday three ruling parties, the Latvia’s First party, the Union of Greens and Farmers and For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK, sent an open letter to the party New Era, asking to nominate another person as Prime Minister because they cannot continue working in a government headed by Einars Repse.

Yesterday three ruling parties, the Latvias First party, the Union of Greens and Farmers and For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK, sent an open letter to the party New Era, asking to nominate another person as Prime Minister because they cannot continue working in a government headed by Einars Repse. Diena, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Lauku Avize, Rigas Balss, Telegraf, VechernayaRiga, Chas, Vesti Segodnya

Newspapers report about the meeting of experts from the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Committee with Latvian officials and representatives of NGOs where the issues of naturalization, education reform, and the implementation of international recommendations on the elimination of racial discrimination were discussed. Experts also visited a Russian language school to observe bilingual education in practice.

Newspapers report about the meeting of experts from the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Committee with Latvian officials and representatives of NGOs where the issues of naturalization, education reform, and the implementation of international recommendations on the elimination of racial discrimination were discussed. Experts also visited a Russian language school to observe bilingual education in practice. Lauku Avize, Chas, Diena, Vesti Segodnya

Diena features opinions of experts in the field of social integration commenting on the negative attitude of the Riga and Latgale residents towards Latvias accession to the EU. Several experts hold the opinion that these attitudes are connected more with socio-economic than ethnic factors and highlight the need to conduct research on the reasons for No vote.

Alfreds Rubiks, the leader of the Socialist Party has decided to turn to the Constitutional Court, to question the results of the referendum about Latvia’s Accession to the EU. According to him, the referendum was not legitimate because one fourth of Latvia’s inhabitants have no opportunity to voice their opinion, as they have no voting rights. In the case of a negative decision of the Constitutional Court, Alfred Rubiks is also planning to file a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights.

Alfreds Rubiks, the leader of the Socialist Party has decided to turn to the Constitutional Court, to question the results of the referendum about Latvias Accession to the EU. According to him, the referendum was not legitimate because one fourth of Latvias inhabitants have no opportunity to voice their opinion, as they have no voting rights. In the case of a negative decision of the Constitutional Court, Alfred Rubiks is also planning to file a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights. Telegraf, Vesti Segodnya, Chas

The letter of M. Bekasov (Latvian Socialist party), informing about the discrimination of minorities in Latvia, has not attracted the attention of MPs of European Parliament. M.Bekasov points to the discrimination of Russian-speakers in the field of education, naturalization and voting rights. According to Per Stenmark, deputy of the European Parliament, the EU and the OSCE have monitored human rights in Latvia for a long time, and that Latvia has fulfilled all requirements.

The letter of M. Bekasov (Latvian Socialist party), informing about the discrimination of minorities in Latvia, has not attracted the attention of MPs of European Parliament. M.Bekasov points to the discrimination of Russian-speakers in the field of education, naturalization and voting rights. According to Per Stenmark, deputy of the European Parliament, the EU and the OSCE have monitored human rights in Latvia for a long time, and that Latvia has fulfilled all requirements. Lauku Avize

The delegation from the Headquarters for the Defense of Russian Schools, consisting of 30 representatives, including the winners of a student competition on caricatures and drawings against the education reform, will visit the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to inform them of the dissatisfaction within the Russian language community with the education reform.

The delegation from the Headquarters for the Defense of Russian Schools, consisting of 30 representatives, including the winners of a student competition on caricatures and drawings against the education reform, will visit the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to inform them of the dissatisfaction within the Russian language community with the education reform. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

Eleonora Mitrofanova, the first deputy minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia suggests the grater consideration should be given by Russia to the use of economic sanctions to other states as a means of ensuring the observance of human rights of compatriots abroad.

Eleonora Mitrofanova, the first deputy minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia suggests the grater consideration should be given by Russia to the use of economic sanctions to other states as a means of ensuring the observance of human rights of compatriots abroad. Neatkariga Rita Avize, Lauku Avize, Vesti Segodnya

The Supreme Court has decided to deprive an Armenian businessman of the Latvian citizenship. The businessman failed to disclose the fact that he already held Armenian citizenship when applying for Latvian citizenship.

The Supreme Court has decided to deprive an Armenian businessman of the Latvian citizenship. The businessman failed to disclose the fact that he already held Armenian citizenship when applying for Latvian citizenship. Rigas Balss

Integration and Minority Information Service
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

• 67% of citizens of Latvia support Latvias accession to the EU
• Nils Muiznieks, the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration, about the negative attitude of minorities towards Latvias accession to the EU
• Muiznieks on key integration issues in 2004
• Diena reports on experts opinions about relationships between Latvia and Russia after Latvias accession to the EU.
• The first deputy minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia: education reform discriminates against Russian-speakers
• Latvian-Russian relations after Latvias accession to the EU
• Foreign media about the referendum
• Vesti Segodnya about an incident during the unapproved walk against the education reform
• An interview with Rabbi Nathan Barkan

According to the provisional results of the referendum, 66,96 % of citizens of Latvia supported Latvia’s accession to the EU.

According to the provisional results of the referendum, 66,96 % of citizens of Latvia supported Latvias accession to the EU. Diena assumes that the large part of Euro-skeptics are representatives of minorities, because the largest number of the EU opponents are in Riga and Latgale. Diena, Rigas Balss, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Vechernaya Riga, Chas, Telegraf

Nils Muiznieks, the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration, believes that the negative attitude of minorities towards Latvia’s membership in the EU could be explained with different information spaces, developed by Latvian and Russian language media, and with the aspirations of several activists to correlate the referendum and the education reform.

Nils Muiznieks, the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration, believes that the negative attitude of minorities towards Latvias membership in the EU could be explained with different information spaces, developed by Latvian and Russian language media, and with the aspirations of several activists to correlate the referendum and the education reform. Diena

Nils Muiznieks, the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration considers clarification of the status of non-citizens, ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, as well as possible granting to non-citizens the right to vote at municipal elections as the main issues in the field of integration in 2004.

Nils Muiznieks, the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration considers clarification of the status of non-citizens, ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, as well as possible granting to non-citizens the right to vote at municipal elections as the main issues in the field of integration in 2004. Vechernaya Riga

Diena reports on experts point of view about relationships of Latvia and Russia after Latvias accession to the EU. Sandra Kalniete, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, stresses that Russia would have less opportunities to interfere in Latvias internal affairs in the field of minority rights. Other experts believe, that after Latvias membership in the EU and NATO the pressure of Russia in Latvia would continue because Russia is a more important partner than Latvia for several EU countries. Diena

Eleonora Mitrofanova, the first deputy minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, criticized the education reform in Latvia in the World Congress of Russian Language Press, stating that this reform discriminates against Russian-speakers. She states that Russia will continue the discussion with the Council of Europe about minority rights in Latvia.

Eleonora Mitrofanova, the first deputy minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, criticized the education reform in Latvia in the World Congress of Russian Language Press, stating that this reform discriminates against Russian-speakers. She states that Russia will continue the discussion with the Council of Europe about minority rights in Latvia. Chas

Telegraf prints an article about the economic and political relations between Latvia and Russia after Latvias accession to the EU.

Foreign media showed Latvia as having the largest group of Euro-sceptics, but Russian-language media reportedly points to the fact that non-citizens did not get the opportunity to express their opinion on Latvia’s membership in the EU.

Foreign media showed Latvia as having the largest group of Euro-sceptics, but Russian-language media reportedly points to the fact that non-citizens did not get the opportunity to express their opinion on Latvias membership in the EU. Rigas Balss

Vesti Segodnya writes about an incident during the unapproved walk against the education reform, when police arrested one of the participants.

Diena features an interview with Rabbi Nathan Barkan.

 

Integration and Minority Information Service
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

• The vandals of the New Jewish Cemetery arrested
• Appeal of the Latvian Association for the Support for Russian Schools
• Non-citizens opinion poll
• Interview with Reuven Rivlin, the Speaker of the Knesset
• Lauku Avize about the visit of delegation of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly
• Leonid Fedoseyev about Latvias EU membership positive aspects for non-citizens
• Deniss Hanovs, deputy director of the Department of National Minorities of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration, and Gatis Dilans, lecturer of intercultural communication, on the situation of ethnic groups in Latvia

Police has arrested five young persons, suspected as the vandals of the New Jewish Cemetery. Teenagers confessed that they have been under the influence of alcohol when committing the crime and that the initiator of this vandalism act was a 16-year-old youth who considers himself a skinhead with extreme right political views. The alleged criminal admitted to hating Jews because his Jewish girlfriend had left him and his Jewish friend had beaten him.

Police has arrested five young persons, suspected as the vandals of the New Jewish Cemetery. Teenagers confessed that they have been under the influence of alcohol when committing the crime and that the initiator of this vandalism act was a 16-year-old youth who considers himself a skinhead with extreme right political views. The alleged criminal admitted to hating Jews because his Jewish girlfriend had left him and his Jewish friend had beaten him. Diena, Vesti Segodnya, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Chas

The Latvian Association for the Support for Russian Schools appeals to Russian-speakers to support Latvia’s accession to the EU. According to the leader of the organization, Igor Pimenov, closer collaboration with Europe with its democratic values will enhance the opportunities of all to get education in their mother tongue.

The Latvian Association for the Support for Russian Schools appeals to Russian-speakers to support Latvias accession to the EU. According to the leader of the organization, Igor Pimenov, closer collaboration with Europe with its democratic values will enhance the opportunities of all to get education in their mother tongue. Diena, Chas

Vesty Segodnya features an article about a non-citizens opinion poll, conducted by the Baltic Institute of Social Sciences. According to the newspaper the survey shows that the education reform is the main problem of non-citizens.

Lauku Avize features an interview with Reuven Rivlin, the Speaker of the Knesset and his speech in the Saeima, stressing that Latvia should take moral responsibility for the Holocaust, therefore improving relations between Jews and Latvians, based upon the mutual understanding.

Lauku Avize comments the impact of politicians from Russia on the upcoming visit of delegation of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

Leonid Fedoseyev writes about positive aspects for non-citizens of Latvia’s EU membership. Chas

Leonid Fedoseyev writes about positive aspects for non-citizens of Latvias EU membership. Chas

Diena features the opposing views of Deniss Hanovs, the deputy director of Department of National Minorities of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration, and Gatis Dilans, a lecturer of intercultural communication of School of Economics and Culture about the situation of ethnic groups in Latvia.

Integration and Minority Information Service
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

• Unapproved walk against the education reform
• About the visit of Reuven Rivlin, Speaker of the Knesset
• The Special Task Minister for Societal Integration stresses the continuing of positive role of the EU in societal integration after Latvias accession
• Headquarters for the defense of Russian schools calls on supporters to vote against Latvias accession to the EU
• Liquidation of the extremist National-Bolshevik organization Victory
• Chas columnist about the reasons of negative attitudes of Russians towards Latvias accession to the EU
• Ambassador of Germany to Latvia about the status of non-citizens in Latvia after accession to the EU

Yesterday about 200 young people participated in an unapproved walk against the education reform, passing by the Saeima, Cabinet of Ministers, City Council of Riga and the Palace of Riga.

Yesterday about 200 young people participated in an unapproved walk against the education reform, passing by the Saeima, Cabinet of Ministers, City Council of Riga and the Palace of Riga. Chas, Diena, Rigas Balss, Vechernaya Riga

Russian language newspapers feature articles about the visit of Reuven Rivlin, Speaker of the Knesset in Latvia. According to

Russian language newspapers feature articles about the visit of Reuven Rivlin, Speaker of the Knesset in Latvia. According to Vesti Segodnya, inhis speech in Saeima Reuven stated that the Israeli people does not blame all the population of Latvia for the act of vandalism at the New Jewish cemetery. Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf, Chas

Chas features article by Nils Muiznieks, the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration, about minority situation after Latvias membership to EU. The Minister points to the negative attitude of minorities against the EU and stresses that the EU has supported the ethnic integration process in Latvia and will continue this support if Latvia becomes a member of the EU.

Headquarters for the defense of Russian schools asks their supporters to vote against the accession of Latvia to the EU, motivating their opinion with the reluctance of the EU to define its attitude towards the education reform in Latvia.

Headquarters for the defense of Russian schools asks their supporters to vote against the accession of Latvia to the EU, motivating their opinion with the reluctance of the EU to define its attitude towards the education reform in Latvia. Vesti Segodnya, Vechernaya Riga

Yesterday the Riga Vidzeme District Court satisfied a case made by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and ruled on the liquidation of the extremist National-Bolshevik organization “Victory.”

Yesterday the Riga Vidzeme District Court satisfied a case made by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and ruled on the liquidation of the extremist National-Bolshevik organization Victory. Vesti Segodnya

Leonid Fedoseyev, columnst of

Leonid Fedoseyev, columnst of Chas, views the negative attitude of Russians against the EU as a consequence of the lack of a real societal integration and the russophobic advertising campaign before the referendum, causing the alienation of Russians from the policy process.

Vesti Segodnya features an interview with Eckart Herold,the Ambassador of Germany in Latvia, pointing out that Latvias accession to the EU will not directly change the status of non-citizens in Latvia. He believes that after Latvias accession to the EU visa requirements for non-citizens of Latvia would be eased, and believes that it is important for non-citizens to naturalise so that they become citizens of the EU.

Integration and Minority Information Service
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

• Janis Jurkans, the leader of Peoples Harmony Party, about possible collaboration with the Prime Minister
• The party For Human Rights in United Latvia requests that the Minister of Education and Science explain his statements in Lauku Avize
• Czech Prime Minister believes that Latvias EU membership will improve relations between Latvia and Russia
• Appeal of the leader of Roma NGO Gloss to the government to support Roma social integration
• Two leaders of minority NGOs discuss minority situation after Latvias accession to the EU

Janis Jurkans, leader of People’s Harmony Party (PHP), believes that this party could cooperate with the Prime Minister within the government. However, Jurkans points to the contradictions between the Prime Minister and PHP on the education reform, naturalization procedure and integration of society. He believes that more attention should be paid to the quality of education in minority schools, enhancing the preparation of teachers for teaching in Latvian and promoting better Latvian language training among students. He also argues for the cancellation of the naturalization fee except for applicants with the highest level of income.

Janis Jurkans, leader of Peoples Harmony Party (PHP), believes that this party could cooperate with the Prime Minister within the government. However, Jurkans points to the contradictions between the Prime Minister and PHP on the education reform, naturalization procedure and integration of society. He believes that more attention should be paid to the quality of education in minority schools, enhancing the preparation of teachers for teaching in Latvian and promoting better Latvian language training among students. He also argues for the cancellation of the naturalization fee except for applicants with the highest level of income. Lauku avize

The party For Human Rights in the United Latvia has sent a request to Karlis Sadurskis, the Minister of Education and Science to explain his published opinions in the recent interview with

The party For Human Rights in the United Latvia has sent a request to Karlis Sadurskis, the Minister of Education and Science to explain his published opinions in the recent interview with Lauku Avize. The party questions the truthfulness of some statements, including that no criticism of the education reform was expressed by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Vesti Segodnya

L. Gindra, the head of Roma NGO “Gloss,” appeals to the government to promote integration of Roma into society. Gindra argues that the Roma in Latvia are economically and politically vulnerable. The NGO is planning to resubmit its elaborated program for Roma to the government.

L. Gindra, the head of Roma NGO Gloss, appeals to the government to promote integration of Roma into society. Gindra argues that the Roma in Latvia are economically and politically vulnerable. The NGO is planning to resubmit its elaborated program for Roma to the government. Neatkariga Rita Avize

Telegraf reports on the visit of Vladimir Spidla, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic. The Prime Minister expressed his belief that Latvias EU membership will elevate the prestige of Latvia and therefore could improve relations between Latvia and Russia.

The internet public policy portal www.politika.lv publishes a discussion between two leaders of minority NGOs -- Dmitrij Nikolajev and Vjacheslav Altuhov -- about the situation of minorities after Latvia’s accession to the EU.

The internet public policy portal www.politika.lv publishes a discussion between two leaders of minority NGOs-- Dmitrij Nikolajev and Vjacheslav Altuhov -- about the situation of minorities after Latvias accession to the EU.