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.

• Sarmite Elerte, advisor on integration issues of the Minister of Culture: every ethnic Latvian should integrate at least one ethnic Russian resident
• Jurijs Petropavlovskis: the time has come to end the system of exclusion of large part of the society from political life
• Vesti Segodnya: state does not provide funding for Latvian language lessons for children in kindergartens
• Neatkariga: there is no unity among the MPs of political party the Unity about the up-coming referendum

Member of the board of the political party the Unity, advisor on integration issues of the Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte stated that all residents of Latvia should strengthen identity of Latvian state and every ethnic Latvian should integrate at least one ethnic Russian resident of Latvia. Mrs Elerte stated that ethnic Latvia should take care that Latvian identity becomes a part of identity of all residents. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

In an interview with Chas, one of the initiators of the collection of signatures in support of granting Latvian citizenship to all non-citizens Jurijs Petropavlovskis (FHRUL) states that the time has come to end the system of exclusion of large part of the society from political life in Latvia, and to abolish the system which limits political competition for taking part in governing the state. Mr Petropavlovskis believes that it is possible to collect the required number of signatures in order to initiate a national referendum, as well as, to get the support of the required number of citizens at the referendum for the draft amendments to the Citizenship Law.

According to Vesti Segodnya, despite the new rules of the Cabinet of Ministers, which stipulate that ethnic minority children in kindergartens should learn Latvian language in a game form starting with the age of 5, the state does not provide funding for Latvian lessons. Representatives of local governments and kindergartens in a number of Latvian cities and towns stated that there is no state funding for this purpose and this issue differs in every municipality or preschool establishment. There are some municipalities which provide funding for Latvian language teachers in kindergartens, but in other regions educators sometimes speak to children in Latvian but without a specific way or method. Also there are kindergartens in which parents are forced to pay for Latvian language courses for their kids.

Neatkariga reports that there is no unity among the MPs of political party the Unity about the up-coming referendum on the Constitutional amendments granting Russian language a status of state language in Latvia. As reported, one part of the Unitys MPs together with the MPs from the nationalists union submitted a claim to the Constitutional Court asking to evaluate whether the referendum on such initiative complies with the Constitution. In the meantime, a member of Unity, lawyer Andrejs Judins stated the prohibition of the referendum is not possible because signatures supporting it were collected in a legally correct way.