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.

• Action Plan for implementation of the government’s declaration foresees actions for implementation of a language reform in national minority schools
• National Council on Electronic Mass Media plans to ban retranslation of one of the Russia’s TV Channels in Latvia
• Latvijas Avize: restrictions for candidates to the European Parliament should be introduced

Vesti Segodnya reports about the Action Plan for implementation of the government’s declaration headed by the Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma which among other issues includes 8 actions on how to implement declared transition of education in national minority schools into Latvian language starting with 2018. Among the actions there are elaboration and adoption of a document on state language policy 2015-2020 aimed at strengthening of a state language environment; elaboration of models of education in national minority schools in order to raise the proportion of state language in the education content; elaboration of proposals for pre-school education with a view to increase usage of Latvian language in a daily environment of pre-schools; preparation of curriculum on state language learning for adults; ensure qualitative inspection of state language proficiency by adults. The newspaper notes that none of the mentioned actions is a legal act which would require the Saeima’s approval.

According to the head of the National Council on Electronic Mass Media Ainars Dimants, it is planned to stop retranslation of one of the Russia’s TV Channels in Latvia in order to limit Russia’s propaganda. The Council is preparing a legal argumentation to ban the channel but it is unknown yet which channel will be banned. Vesti Segodnya

Latvijas Avize questions why the restrictions similar to the ones applied for the parliamentary and local elections do not apply for the election to the European Parliament (EP). In particular, the restrictions which make persons who where KGB agents and active members of the Communist party and the International Front of the Working People of the Latvian SSR after 13 January 1991 as not eligible to be elected. As an example, the newspaper mentions the MEP from Latvia Tatyana Zdanoka (former member of the International Front) who supported the reunion of the Crimea with Russia. The newspaper classifies such opinion as a threat to the independence of Latvia and European security. Another Latvian MEP Karlis Sadurskis applied to the Security Police asking to initiate a criminal proceeding against Mrs Zdanoka, but the MP Vilnis Kirsis appealed to the European Parliament’s faction of the Greens/ European Free Alliance to exclude her from faction’s members. Member of the nationalists’ union, MP Imants Paradnieks believes that such restrictions for the candidates to the EP should be introduced, but T.Zdanoka should be deprived of Latvian citizenship for her actions.