Integration monitor is a daily Latvian press digest on ethnic minority and society integration issues. The Monitor reviews the biggest Latvian dailies: Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga (in Latvian language), Vesti Segodnya (in Russian language). In specific cases other information sources are used. Latvian Centre for Human Rights is not responsible for information published by the media.

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

• Approximately 8,000 minority students participated in the unapproved protest action against education reform
• President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga points to the contradictions between several paragraphs of the Law on Education, discriminating minority schools
• Russias State Council is planning to establish economic sanctions against Latvia
• Director of the Baltic Institute of Social Sciences Brigita Zepa comments the increasing motivation of non-citizens to naturalize
• Interview with the70,000th naturalized non-citizen
• A call for Latvians to express more actively their positive attitude towards education reform

Yesterday approximately 8,000 minority students participated in the unapproved protest action against education reform near the castle of the President of Latvia.

Yesterday approximately 8,000 minority students participated in the unapproved protest action against education reform near the castle of the President of Latvia. Neatkariga Rita Avize features statements of the director of the Baltic Institute of Social Sciences Brigita Zepa, who points out the necessity to solve the practical problems regarding the implementation of education reform and to provide all resources essential for minority schools. Chas prints an interview with the head of the Peoples Harmony Party parliamentary group Janis Urbanovics. He thinks that protest actions against education reform are a fiasco of the politicians. Diena, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Latvijas Avize, Rigas Balss, Telegraf, Vesti Segodnya, Vechernaya Riga

Neatkariga Rita Avize prints a letter of the President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga to the Prime Minister Einars Repse and the Saeima Speaker Ingrida Udre. The President of Latvia states that the latest amendments to the Law on Education do not deteriorate or restrict substantially minority rights, at the same time she points out contradictions between several paragraphs of the law that discriminate minority schools.

Russia State Council is planning to review a draft law, which might stipulate the establishment of economic sanctions against Latvia in order to respond to the events related to the education reform.

Russia State Council is planning to review a draft law, which might stipulate the establishment of economic sanctions against Latvia in order to respond to the events related to the education reform. Dienas commentator Aivars Ozolins believes that Russia only uses the education reform as an excuse, but the actual reason of its activities is a desire to maintain Russias influence on Latvia. The commentator prognosticates that the attempts to stop the integration process in Latvia and to provoke ethnic conflicts will continue as a part of the neo-imperialistic policy, realized by Moscow. Diena, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Latvijas Avize, Telegraf, Vesti Segodnya

Public policy site

Public policy site www.politika.lv publishes an article by the director of the Baltic Institute of Social Sciences Brigita Zepa, commenting the increasing motivation of non-citizens to naturalize after the EU accession referendum. Brigita Zepa believes that the latest wave of naturalization embraces non-citizens who have been waiting the automatic granting of citizenship and those, who associate the citizenship with new possibilities, including possibility to find a work in the EU. According to the author, the increasing speed of naturalization could be connected also with the Latvian language courses offered by the Naturalization Board free of charge. For full text see here.

Diena features an interview with Tatjana Lahovica, the 70,000th naturalized non-citizen.

Latvijas Avize features an article by the leader of national-extremists organization Visu Latvijai! Raivis Dzintars, calling Latvians to express their positive attitude towards education reform more actively.