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

• Representative of Greens and Farmers nominated to form the new government
• Evaluation of the former governments policy on society integration
• Protest meeting in Liepaja against the education reform
• Question of the Russian-speaking minority will be discussed during the summer session of the OSCE
• Russian language schools will be allowed to use the textbooks received from Russia
• Russias Duma MP Konstantin Zatulin gives a press conference on situation of the Russian-speakers in Latvia
• Latvias Ambassador to the Council of Europe comments on the statements of Russias Minister for Foreign Affairs
• Maslenitsa celebration in Cesis
• Interview with the former Special Task Minister of Society Integration Affairs Nils Muiznieks

The President of Latvia nominated the representative of the Greens and Farmers political party Indulis Emsis to form the new government. Indulis Emsis is willing to form a coalition government of all five right-wing parties.

The President of Latvia nominated the representative of the Greens and Farmers political party Indulis Emsis to form the new government. Indulis Emsis is willing to form a coalition government of all five right-wing parties.

Commenting the former government of Einars Repse, Director of the Latvian Centre for Human Righst and Ethnic Studies Ilze Brande-Kehre states that creation of the Special Task Minister of Society Integration post was an important development. According to Ilze Brande-Kehre, the biggest problem of the former government was inability to continue with the inherited minority education reform.

Commenting the former government of Einars Repse, Director of the Latvian Centre for Human Righst and Ethnic Studies Ilze Brande-Kehre states that creation of the Special Task Minister of Society Integration post was an important development. According to Ilze Brande-Kehre, the biggest problem of the former government was inability to continue with the inherited minority education reform. Diena, Vesti Segodnya, Chas

Last Friday Saeima’s MP Valerijs Agesins organized a protest meeting in Liepaja in the form of the meeting with the voters. About one hundred of students gathered to protest against the education reform with the slogans like ‘we are not against the Latvian language, we are for the education in our mother language’. The meeting was rather quiet, and after half an hour the crowd has dissolved.

Last Friday Saeimas MP Valerijs Agesins organized a protest meeting in Liepaja in the form of the meeting with the voters. About one hundred of students gathered to protest against the education reform with the slogans like ‘we are not against the Latvian language, we are for the education in our mother language. The meeting was rather quiet, and after half an hour the crowd has dissolved. Diena, Vesti Segodnya, Chas, Latvijas Avize

The Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE has decided to include the question about the situation of the Russian-speaking minority in Latvia and Estonia in the summer session’s agenda.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE has decided to include the question about the situation of the Russian-speaking minority in Latvia and Estonia in the summer sessions agenda. Vesti Segodnya, Chas, Latvijas Avize

After examining the schoolbooks given as a gift by the Russian Embassy in Latvia,  director of the integration department of the Ministry of Science and Education Evija Papule announced that the Russian language schools would be allowed to use these books.

After examining the schoolbooks given as a gift by the Russian Embassy in Latvia, director of the integration department of the Ministry of Science and Education Evija Papule announced that the Russian language schools would be allowed to use these books. Vesti Segodnya, Chas, Latvijas Avize

On Friday the MP of the Russia’s Duma Konstantin Zatulin organized a press conference about the situation of the Russian-speakers in Latvia. He criticizes the Russian government for not introducing economic sanctions against Latvia.

On Friday the MP of the Russias Duma Konstantin Zatulin organized a press conference about the situation of the Russian-speakers in Latvia. He criticizes the Russian government for not introducing economic sanctions against Latvia. Latvijas Avize

Latvijas Avize publishes the commentary of the Latvias Ambassador to the Council of Europe Georgs Andrejevs on the statements of Russias Minister for Foreign Affairs Igor Ivanov about the education reform in Latvia. Georgs Andrejevs believes that by allocating a considerable amount of time for instruction in minority languages at the secondary school, the Education Law gives minorities a possibility to develop their identity, at the same time providing equal opportunities for the higher education and participation in the labor market. He stresses that Russian governments reference to the Framework Convention for the protection of the National Minorities is not accurate, as the Advisory Committee of the Convention has concluded that in Russia the option to learn minority language is available only in the primary school, and all instruction in further grades is in Russian only.

On Friday the celebration of traditional Russian holiday Butter Week (Maslenitsa) was organized in Cesis. The former Special Task Minister of Society Integration Affairs Nils Muiznieks, the Russian Ambassador Igor Studennikov and the British Ambassador Andrew Tesoriere have attended the event. Russian-speaking population in Cesis is only 4%, but many people joined the celebration.

On Friday the celebration of traditional Russian holiday Butter Week (Maslenitsa) was organized in Cesis. The former Special Task Minister of Society Integration Affairs Nils Muiznieks, the Russian Ambassador Igor Studennikov and the British Ambassador Andrew Tesoriere have attended the event. Russian-speaking population in Cesis is only 4%, but many people joined the celebration. Vesti Segodnya, Chas, Latvijas Avize

Neatkariga Rita Avize publishes an interview with Nils Muiznieks, the former Special Task Minister for Society Integration. According to Muiznieks, the main problem of the education reform is lack of information in the society and among minority students in particular. He states that although the goal of the education reform in Estonia is similar,  the situation there is much calmer – the starting requirement was for education only in Estonian, then it was decreased to 70%, later set down to 60%, and finally the education reform was postponed by two years. N. Muiznieks believes that the previous education models did not ensure the sufficient knowledge of Latvian language for students of the Russian language schools. He also stresses that minority education is not a question of human rights, as international human rights do not include strict standards on the minority rights for education. European institutions could not and would not express a unanimous opinion about the Latvian education reform because European minority education practice varies across the countries, says Muiznieks. He stresses that there is a need for the Prime Minister who will from the very first moment seriously approach the education reform issues, recognizing mistakes made in the past and possibly starting from the very beginning, carefully communicating the goals of the reform to the people.

Neatkariga Rita Avize publishes an interview with Nils Muiznieks, the former Special Task Minister for Society Integration. According to Muiznieks, the main problem of the education reform is lack of information in the society and among minority students in particular. He states that although the goal of the education reform in Estonia is similar, the situation there is much calmer – the starting requirement was for education only in Estonian, then it was decreased to 70%, later set down to 60%, and finally the education reform was postponed by two years. N. Muiznieks believes that the previous education models did not ensure the sufficient knowledge of Latvian language for students of the Russian language schools. He also stresses that minority education is not a question of human rights, as international human rights do not include strict standards on the minority rights for education. European institutions could not and would not express a unanimous opinion about the Latvian education reform because European minority education practice varies across the countries, says Muiznieks. He stresses that there is a need for the Prime Minister who will from the very first moment seriously approach the education reform issues, recognizing mistakes made in the past and possibly starting from the very beginning, carefully communicating the goals of the reform to the people.