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.

• Sociologist Aigars Freimanis: inter-ethnic relations in Latvia is a success story

• Political activist Andrejs Tolmacovs: granting citizenship to non-citizens of Latvia would end the monopoly of the Concord Centre

Diena interviewed the head of the market and opinion research agency "Latvijas Fakti" (Latvian Facts), sociologist Aigars Freimanis. Mr.Freimanis believes that various communities of Latvia have in a natural way developed a rational model of co-existence, which is very successful. Mr.Freimanis points out that fortunately, there were never any significant inter-ethnic conflicts in Latvia and comparing to many other countries, inter-ethnic relations in Latvia is a success story. Regarding the referendum on the status of Russian as a state language Mr.Freimanis believes that the politicians of the Concord Centre have paradoxically filled that referendum with irrelevant content, which motivated many voters to support the initiative and revealed contradictions between the politicians, not between the communities. Mr.Freimanis also believes that while the current threshold of 10,000 signatures required for the initiation of referendums may be too low, the recently adopted increase to 150,000 signatures is definitely a restriction on democracy. (01.08.2012)

Coordinator of the movement “For Equal Rights”, political activist Andrejs Tolmacovs has stated that granting citizenship to non-citizens of Latvia would end the division of political parties into “ethnically Latvian” and “ethnically Russian” parties. The right-left divisions would remain, while the positions of the moderates would be strengthened, because the politicians would have to take into consideration the interests of all the people of Latvia. At the moment, Russian voters have no choice but to vote for the “Concord Centre”, because all other parties are even worse; for example, many voters are afraid that if the “Unity” comes to power in Riga City Council, Russian schools may be liquidated. If all the people have voting rights, this “monopoly on Russian votes” of the “Concord Centre” would end, because the voters would have greater choice. Diena, Telegraf