• No Hate Speech campaign launched in Latvia
• Latvijas Avize prints an interview with well-known Latvian lawyer Andris Grutups

The Society Integration Foundation in co-operation with the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and the Ministry of Education and Science launched the national campaign against hate speech. The campaign is launched in the framework of the Council of Europe’s No Hate Speech Movement. The aim of the campaign is to promote equality, mutual respect, human rights and diversity. In the framework of the campaign it is planned to organise educative events about hate speech online and inform young people about the risks can face online. Latvian Avize

Latvijas Avize prints an interview with well-known Latvian lawyer (known also for his nationalistic views) Andris Grutups. Mr Grutups does not agree that state’s economic future depends only on relations between ethnic Latvians and Russian speaking community because first of all it is important to develop manufacturing industry. Regarding the idea of consolidation of ethnic Latvians and Russians speakers, Mr Grutups states that it is important to understand on what basis it will happen and whether it will be based on invariable principle of ethnic Latvian state and language.  Mr Grutups also believes that about 20% of Russians speakers have very strong patriotic sense towards Latvia and patriotism can be one of the principles for state’s consolidation ideology. According to Mr Grutups, Latvian policy oriented on rightwing ideology, liberal economy, exaggerated actualisation of human rights and minorities’ issues has failed. Mr Grutups believes that large number of emigrated Latvians from the country speaks about one of the most unfavourable periods for Latvian nation.

• Vesti Segodnya interviews activist for rights of non-citizens Vladimirs Buzajevs about differences in rights of citizens and non-citizens
• Academic Juris Rozenvalds: Concord Centre has monopolised all Russian speaking electorate

Vesti Segodnya interviews activist for rights of non-citizens, ex-MP Vladimirs Buzajevs about differences in rights of citizens and non-citizens. According to Mr Buzajevs, the differences in rights do not decrease during the past 10 years period and currently there are about 80 differences. Mr Buzajevs says that some old restrictions were abolished, yet some new were introduced. There is international pressure to abolish some of restrictions, yet some of the restrictions that were abolished following recommendations of human rights experts, were re-introduced again. Besides very significant differences such as reduced pensions, the ban for non-citizens to vote in elections, work in police, limitations to own land, and others, there are also some new and absurd limitations such as ban to work in the management of especially dangerous (toxic and radioactive) garbage, ban to work as patentors, and the ban to work as official in the Registry Office. Mr.Buzajevs points out that those immigrants to Latvia who have citizenship of other EU countries, have more rights than the local non-citizens of Latvia, such as voting or purchasing land. Vladimirs Buzajevs plans to publish the updated list of differences between citizens and non-citizens.

Latvijas Avize interviews academic Juris Rozenvalds about political participation of ethnic minorities. According to Mr Rozenvalds, the Concord Centre (CC) has monopolised all Russian speaking electorate and this is dangerous to Latvia’s politics because decreases political competitiveness. Mr Rozenvals believes the CC as well as other so called “Russian” parties were excluded from the government all past 20 years not because of their social economic program but because it was deliberate choice of governing politicians to prevent "Russians" from coming to power. Mr Rozenvalds believes that exclusion of representatives of Russians speaking residents also leaves impact on state’s development. At the same time, inclusion of the CC in the government would help to reduce tension and to let them take political responsibility.

• State budget gained 145 millions from the temporary residence permits’ program

According to a study conducted by an international audit and business consulting company “Deloitte”, the total contribution of the temporary residence permits’ program into the state budget since the launch of the program on June 2010 until May 2013 was 145 million lats (207 million euros). The direct contribution into Latvian economy only from investments in the real estate with an aim to receive residence permit was 325 million lats (464 million euros). But the total contribution taking counting purchase of real estate and additional expenses related to residence of investors was 545 million lats (776 million euros). “Deloitte” also counted that the temporary residence permits’ program might bring to Latvia investments in amount of 1,24 billion lats (1,77 billion euros) during five years period. Diena, Vesti Segodnya

 

• Naturalisation rate continues to fall
• Congress of Non-Citizens criticizes Barack Obama’s compliments about democracy in Latvia

 According Vesti Segodnya, the naturalisation rate continues to fall. During this year Latvian citizenship was granted to 1,159 persons who went through the naturalisation procedure. For comparison, Latvian citizenship received 19,169 persons in 2005, but last year 2,213.

During the meeting with the President of Latvia Andris Berzins, the U.S. President Barack Obama stated that Latvia is a strong ally in promoting human rights and democratic values all over the world. Commenting such statement, the Congress of Non-Citizens stated that the U.S.A. overestimates Latvia’s potential in promotion of democracy and human rights. The Congress argued that despite the superficial signs of democracy in Latvia, the access to democracy is limited along ethnic lines and almost 300,000 persons with status of non-citizen in the country; therefore, Latvia should not be characterised as an example of democracy for other countries. As reported, before the meeting with Latvian President, the Congress sent an appeal to Mr Obama asking him to raise issue of large scale non-citizenship in Latvia. Vesti Segodnya

• MP Irina Cvetkova left the Saeima’s Society Consolidation Committee
• Latvian nationalist Aivars Slucis criticizes the legal provisions on granting residence permits

Vesti Segodnya reports that the MP Irina Cvetkova (Concord Centre) left the Saeima’s Society Consolidation Committee. Explaining her decision, Mrs Cvetkova says that before joining the Committee she believed that the MPs can change the situation and create the conditions for consolidation of the society. However, after a short while, Mrs Cvetkova says she understood that in reality the politicians of the governing coalition are not interested in the consolidation, because than they will have no issue which they could use for distracting the attention of the society away from more important issues and the ruling politicians are not capable of doing anything else except for shouting "Russians are coming!"; besides, the ruling politicians feel comfortable enough – so why bother solving problems, such as non-citizenship? Mrs Cvetkova mentions two specific reasons, which motivated her to leave the Committee now: first, - one of the high state officials visiting the Committee openly stated that the integration is not priority and instead, consolidation of ethnic Latvians living in Latvia and abroad is the real priority; second – a fellow member of the Committee wrote a complaint about her to the Saeima's Committee on Ethics, accusing her of negative expressions about Waffen SS. 

 

Latvijas Avize once again publishes the paid publication by well known Latvian nationalist living in the U.S.A. Aivars Slucis. This time Mr Slucis criticizes the legal provisions on granting residence permits in Latvia to foreign investors. Aivars Slucis believes that such provisions promote new occupation and Russification of Latvia as Russians buy real estate and move to Latvia with families. Mr Slucis proposes to set more severe requirements for granting residence permits to investors such as at least LVL 500,000 large investment in Latvian economy; insure at least 10 workplaces for Latvian citizens; pay LVL 100,000 for residence permit for time period no longer than five years.