• Vesti Segodnya reports about a practice of one of the Riga kindergartens on children integration
• Author of the Preamble Egils Levits: notion of the state nation defines the cultural identity of Latvian national state
• Director of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights Anhelita Kamenska: anti-cancer campaign is aimed at checking people’s health, not their language proficiency

Vesti Segodnya reports about a practice of one of the Riga kindergartens on children integration. The educators of the kindergarten work with children using folklore pedagogy to teach them love towards Latvian and Russian culture and traditions. Thus, children celebrate Latvian and Russian traditional celebration days and learn traditions of both nations. The kindergarten also implemented a project “Diversity of folk celebrations and traditions – wealth of Latvia” funded by the Riga City Council’s Education, Culture and Sports Department in which it shared with their experience with other kindergartens. Vesti Segodnya (28.10)

Newspapers report about the conference about the draft Preamble to the Constitution of Latvia. Responding to critics about the introduction of a notion of a “state nation” in the Preamble, the author of the Preamble Egils Levits explained that the state nation is not political but nationally cultural notion defining the cultural identity of Latvian national state. According to Mr Levits, in the context of Latvia’s constitutional rights, identity of ethnic Latvian nation is defined by three aspects: state language is Latvian, there is a duty to strengthen Latvian language and culture, and to care about ethnic minorities. Mr Levits statedthat belonging to a state nation is defined not by origin but by self identification of a person disregard his/her ethnic belonging. Mr Levits also stated that belonging to a state nation does not have any legal effects and does not provide any privileges. Diena, Vesti Segodnya (28.10)

The director of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights Anhelita Kamenska strongly criticises the attempts of the State Language Centre (SLC) to restrict public dissemination of printed information by state institutions in the Russian language.  She draws attention to the recent ban by the SLC to distribute invitations in Russian prepared by the Ministry of Health for cancer prevention campaign aimed at encouraging women to undergo preventive breast and cervical cancer checks. Anhelita Kamenska highlights the cases when the SLC tried to restrict the public dissemination of printed information in Russian (brochures on public safety, crime victim satisfaction survey questionnaires by State Police, leaflet by Central Statistical Board for population census, etc.) by wrongly interpreting the State Language Law. She reminds that the anti-cancer campaign is aimed at checking people’s health, not their state (Latvian) language proficiency. Weekly magazine Ir

• Diena prints opinions of state officials and experts about the State Language Centre’s decision to forbid the National Health Service to disseminate invitations to women for screening
• President of Latvia Andris Berzins harshly criticizes the nationalists’ union All for Latvia!-FF/LNIM
• Vesti Segodnya: initiative on demolition of the Monument to Liberators of Riga from Nazi Invaders is a call for civil war

Diena prints opinions of state officials and experts about the State Language Centre’s (SLC) decision to forbid the National Health Service to disseminate invitations to women for screening for cervical cancer and breast cancer and to men over 50 years old for bowel cancer in Russian language.  The National Health Service believes that the prohibition to distribute such information in Russian language is one of the reasons of low response for such invitation. However, according to a representative of the SLC Antons Kursitis, 23 years passed since the adoption of the State Language Law and all persons who wanted to learn Latvian language did it. Mr Kursitis believes that it is discriminatory towards other ethnic minorities to distribute the invitations in Russian language only. The expert on public health Viktors Jaksons, in his turn, stressed that the reality is that not all the residents are proficient in Latvian language and it should be taken into account as the aim is to reach as wider public as possible otherwise it could cost the state a lot. The Minister of Health Ingrida Circene agrees with the expert’s opinion stressing that the wider public should be reached regardless of residents’ ethnic belonging, place of residence, or level of education. The MP Aija Barca says that restriction to disseminate information about health care in other languages is not the best way how to protect the state language. The head of the Saeima’s Society Consolidation Committee Ainars Latkovskis believes that in such cases exceptions from the literally norms of the State Language Law could be made.

The President of Latvia Andris Berzins harshly criticizes the nationalists’ union All for Latvia!-FF/LNIM for the proposal to limit the granting of residence permits to foreign investors and for support of demolition of the Monument to Liberators of Riga from Nazi Invaders. The President said that no one thinks about the topical problems of the country and about the fact that its residents emigrate, - in the meantime the politicians are trying to restrict the granting of residents permits. The President highlighted that the current system helps the state to receive generous financial resources. He agrees that the system of granting residence permits is not perfect and it should be improved; however, the proposed changes are improper. The President believes the statements of the Minister of Justice Janis Bordans about removal of the Monument are an example of populist statements and direct use of administrative resource in the pre-election campaign. Vesti Segodnya

Vesti Segodnya prints opinions of its readers on what would they do if the Latvian authorities would decide to demolish the Monument to Liberators of Riga from Nazi Invaders. The majority of persons said that if such situation is permitted they are ready to come to the Monument and to defend it physically. The people believe that such initiative is a call for civil war and incitement of ethnic hatred in the society.

• Parents voice their concerns about the planned merger of Russian minority schools in Riga 

 

Education Department of Riga City Council is planning to merge two Russian minority schools: "Herder secondary school" could be moved to the building of "Russian secondary school" and a single "Herder secondary" would remain as a result. "Herder secondary" is Russian minority school with enhanced learning of German language situated in prestigious city centre and according to the newspaper, the school had resisted previous suggestions to move the school elsewhere; the parents like the quality of education, the feeling of small school as well as the fact that the school is a walking distance from their homes. "Russian secondary" is a standard Soviet-era school built in the historical workers' outskirts of inner city and currently the area has questionable reputation. Representative of Riga Education Department Imants Mednis declined to give any comments. 357 pupils study in "Herder secondary" (400 pupils capacity), 344 pupils in "Russian secondary" (750 pupils capacity). According to the Mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs (Concord Centre), Riga City Council will increase police presence in the area around "Russian secondary" and is planning to invest 2,5 million Lats (3,557 million Euros) in renovation of its building and the surrounding area, including park. The newspaper reminds that few years ago several Russian schools have already been merged. Vesti Segodnya

• State Language Service of Riga is merged with the Construction Department
• Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis voiced doubts that the demolition of the Monument to the Liberators of Riga from Nazi Invaders would promote consolidation of the society

The Riga City Council decided to merge the State Language Service of Riga with the Construction Department. Such decision was made because 80% of the State Language Service work is connected with control over posters, advertisements etc. The oppositional parties criticize such decision arguing that it diminishes the importance of the state language. Previously the State Language Service could also submit its proposals to committee and institutions on strengthening of the state language, but such issues are not included in the Service’s functions anymore. Vesti Segodnya

Commenting the initiative on demolition of the Monument to the Liberators of Riga from Nazi Invaders, the Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis voiced doubts that this initiative would promote consolidation of the society. The newspaper Vesti Segodnya, in its turn, appeals to its readers to contact the newspaper and to tell what would they personally react if the state authorities would decide to demolish the Monument. As reported, the social initiative on demolition of the Monument collected 10,000 signatures through the social initiatives portal manabalss.lv required to forward this initiative for the revision to the Saeima. Vesti Segodnya

• State Language Centre repeatedly forbade the National Health Service to distribute invitations for cancer screening in Russian language
• Vesti Segodnya prints an interview with the head of the President’s Commission on State Language Andrejs Vejsbergs
• Latvijas Avize reports about the amendments to the Criminal Procedure Law which grants the right to interpreter free of charge to persons entitled to defence, victim and his/her representative
• Minister of Justice Janis Bordans supports removal of the Monument to the Liberators of Riga from Nazi Invaders
• MP Andrejs Elksnins: Egils Levits’ Preamble to the Constitution is a continuation of the integration program elaborated by Sarmite Elerte

Vesti Segodnya reports that the State Language Centre repeatedly forbade the National Health Service to distribute invitations to women for screening for cervical cancer and breast cancer and to men over 50 years old for bowel cancer in Russian language. The National Health Service, taking into account ethnic composition of the population and specificity of the medical terminology, prepared the invitations in Latvian and Russian languages, however, after the conclusion of the SLC distributed invitations in Latvian only. The SLC argued that the state institutions should provide information in the state language only. The MP Boriss Cilevics in an interview with the newspaper criticizes such position of the SLC and argues that this is wrong, because the legal acts allow provision of important information for population in foreign language regarding life and health of individuals. According to the calculation of the lecturer of the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga Boriss Ginzburgs, the decision of the SLC every year kills about 5-6 women who might not understand the invitation for screening in Latvian language and, therefore, do not respond to it.

Vesti Segodnya prints an interview with the head of the President’s Commission on State Language Andrejs Vejsbergs. Mr Vejsbergs believes that there are no linguistic threats for Latvian language at present, but there are demographic threats as the number of ethnic Latvian speakers is relatively small. Mr Vejsbergs also believes that Russian and Latvian languages do not interfere with each other linguistically, but Russian language always has political connotations. The other factor which hampers the state language is psychological problem of ethnic Latvians as, despite the fact that they are ethnic majority in Latvia, regarding the language situation they feel as minorities due to the past events – Soviet occupation and repressions. Mr Vejsbergs also believes that residents who enter formal communication with the state which has only one state language have to consider with this state’s rules. 

Latvijas Avize reports about the amendments to the Criminal Procedure Law which grants the right to interpreter free of charge to persons entitled to defence, victim and his/her representative if they do not know the state (Latvian) language. The new amendments will also include the right to interpreter in communication with the defence counsel. As of 1 January 2014, 30 interpreter positions will be made available in prisons. According to Ilona Spure, the Director of the Latvian Prison Administration, of 5,325 prisoners more than half of prisoners in Latvia are Russian speakers, which include both Latvian citizens and non-citizens. There is also a small number of foreign citizens mostly from the CIS countries. The amendments were adopted to transpose the EU Directive on the right to interpretation and translation in criminal proceedings.

 Commenting the social initiative to demolish the Monument to the Liberators of Riga from Nazi Invaders, the Minister of Justice Janis Bordans stated that the Monument in the future should look totally different and be located elsewhere because it has no place near the recently built Latvian National library. Replying to a journalists’ question whether this issue on demolition of the Monument splits the society, the Minister said that we should start to speak about historical issues openly. Vesti Segodnya interviewed the MPs about the initiative and majority of interviewees do not support the demolition of the Monument and consider that the Parliament will not discuss this initiative as such issue is not in its competence. Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya

The MP Andrejs Elksnins (Concord Centre) interviewed by Neatkariga criticizes the draft Preamble to the Constitution of Latvia elaborated by the head of the President’s Commission on Constitutional Rights Egils Levits and believes that this Preamble is a continuation of the integration program elaborated by the ex-Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte. Mr Elksnins believes that these two documents put ethnic Latvians hierarchically superior other ethnic non-Latvian residents. Mr Elksnins believes that the draft Preamble splits the society and endangers its sustainable development. Latvijas Avize, in its turn, reports that the draft Preamble will be discussed on 25 October at a conference at the University of Latvia.