• 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.

• Minister of Education Ina Druviete: Latvian language proficiency of ethnic minority students is not good enough

Diena interviews the Minister of Education Ina Druviete. The Minister believes that graduates of ethnic minority schools have good Latvian language proficiency but it is not good enough, because the language environment in such schools does not strengthen language knowledge. Therefore, it is important to search for way how to ensure more successful state language learning. According to the Minister, staring with 2018 the proportion of state language and minority language in schools might be 80% of subjects in state language, 20% - in minority language.  The Minister asserts that there are no basis to speak about closure of ethnic minority schools as learning subjects concerning ethnic identity of minorities will remain in their native language. The Minister says that Latvia will continue its good traditions of ethnic minority education, but it is time to strengthen more Latvian language.

• 150 persons took part in a protest action against transition of ethnic minority schools into Latvian language
• Russian Embassy in Latvia clarifies statements of the Ambassador Veshnyakov regarding granting Russian citizenship to non-citizens

Yesterday, about 150 persons took part in a protest action against transition of ethnic minority schools into Latvian language. The protest action was organised by a member of the Latvia’s Russian Union Jakovs Pliners. Member of the picket demanded government to cancel plans for such language reform, to ensure that children study in schools in their native language, and to grant funding for support of ethnic minority schools according to demand of parents. Neatkariga, Latvijas Avize

Latvijas Avize reports that it has received a letter from the Russian Embassy in Latvia regarding recent publication in media that Russia is ready to save Latvian non-citizens from poverty. The Embassy clarifies that the Ambassador Aleksandr Veshnyakov in his interview with Latvia Radio 4 talked not about some Russia’s draft law on granting citizenship to Russians living aboard but about the existing legal norms which stipulate granting Russian citizenship to Latvian non-citizens who are not permanent Russia’s residents. The Ambassador also said Russia stimulated acceptance of Russian citizenship by non-citizens only in the circumstances of economical crisis in order to help those people to receive at least Russian pension as a source of income.

• Saeima’s Society Consolidation Committee met with representatives of Ukrainian NGOs in Latvia
• Vesti Segodnya interviews head of the Union of Latvia’s Ukrainian Communities Ludmila Belinceva
• Latvijas Avize prints articles about the history of the Russian Orthodox Church in Latvia

Latvijas Avize reports about a meeting of the Saeima’s Society Consolidation Committee with representatives of  Ukrainian NGOs in Latvia. There are many Ukrainian organisations in Latvia and no common one which would represent all Ukrainians. According to the head of one of the biggest NGOs - Union of Latvia’s Ukrainian Communities Ludmila Belinceva, Ukrainian organisations in Latvia represent very different opinions as there are also different opinions among Ukrainian residents. Mrs Belinceva said that Ukrainian society is much more split than Latvian and Latvia would help Ukraine by sharing its successful experience in consolidation of the society. Representatives of the Latvia’s Congress of Ukrainians, in their turn, called Latvian authorities to draw closer attention at granting  Russian citizenship to Latvian residents, information provided by Russia’s federal TV channels broadcasted in Latvia, and some Latvian politicians, like MEP from Latvia Tatjana Zdanoka (Latvia’s Russian Union) who, to their opinion, split the society.

 

Vesti Segodnya interviews the head of the Union of Latvia’s Ukrainian Communities Ludmila Belinceva. Mrs Belinceva comments recent statement by the head of the other Ukrainian organisation - Latvia’s Congress of Ukrainians Mikola Pavljuk made in the Saeima saying that disloyal Latvian non-citizens should be sent out of Latvia. Mrs Belinceva says that Ukrainians living in Latvia do not share Pavljuk’s statements. Mrs Belinceva believes that by such statement he surpassed even the most radical local nationalists and offended not only all Ukrainians but also all Latvian residents.

 

Latvijas Avize prints articles about the history of the Russian Orthodox Church in Latvia and the planned visit of the Patriarch of All Russian Orthodox Church Kirill to Latvia in May. There are about 350,000 Orthodox believers in Latvia and it is the third major confession in the country after Lutherans and Catholics.

• Security Police initiated a criminal proceeding concerning an online collection of signatures in support of reunion of Latvia with Russia
• Ombudsman Juris Jansons accuses Vesti Segodnya of provision of false information
• The Daily Telegraph: Daugavpils might be the next region to ask for Russia’s “protection”

The Security Police initiated a criminal proceeding concerning an online collection of signatures in support of reunion of Latvia with Russia. The authors of the petition as a post scriptum to its description noted that it is just a joke. However, the Security Police considers that it contains a call to abolish the independence of Latvia with an aim to make it a part of another state. Vesti Segodnya

Vesti Segodnya reports that the Ombudsman Juris Jansons in an interview with Latvian Radio 4 accused the newspaper of provision of false information reporting on his position about bilingual education. The Ombudsman asserted that he never called to close Russian language schools, but when was asked by the radio program’s host to clarify his own position regarding national minority schools, the Ombudsman did not provide a clear answer. The newspaper, in its turn, asserts that it is the Ombudsman who misleads the public and his recommendation which is officially published clearly says that “as 50% of minority students evaluate their Latvian language knowledge as good, it is recommended to set in the legal acts that secondary education for students who have studied for a while in Latvian education system is only in Latvian language.”

According to the British Daily Telegraph, Daugavpils (city in the Eastern part of Latvia) might be the next region to ask for Russia’s “protection”. The newspaper notes that Daugavpils, along with a few other Baltic settlements near Russian border, is one of few cities in the EU with a Russian speaking majority. Two of the interviewed Daugavpils residents complain about harsh economic situation, high unemployment and no benefit from Latvian membership in the EU and assume that it would be good if Latvian would become part of Russia again.