• Congress of Non-citizens elected its own public ombudsman
• Latvijas Avize interviews the MP Ilma Cepane about the new version of the draft Preamble to the Constitution of Latvia

Vesti Segodnya reports about a session of the Congress of Non-citizens. The Congress decided to start a campaign on professional discrediting the Ombudsman Juris Jansons who according to the members of the Congress, by his recent statements violates his mandate. Therefore, the Congress elected its own public Ombudsman Jelena Bacinska.  The Congress also plans to hold its own survey of Latvian residents about Latvia’s future and solution of the issue concerning non-citizenship in Latvia in case of the court approves that the decision of the Central Elections Committee to refuse initiation of a referendum on granting Latvian citizenship to non-citizens was legal.

Latvijas Avize interviews the head of the Saeima’s Legal Committee, MP Ilma Cepane about the new version of the draft Preamble or Introduction to the Constitution of Latvia. According to Mrs Cepane the author of the Preamble Egils Levits decided to withdraw the term “state nation” in the Preamble’s text due to extensive criticism from different experts that such term is unacceptable as it splits the society.  However, Mrs Cepane believes that the term “state nation” is correct and its essence remained in the text of the new draft Preamble. According to Mrs Cepane, state nation are those residents who integrated into the state language, culture, historical memory and they consider themselves as state nation, but those who consider that they belong to other nation are ethnic minorities. Ilma Cepane hopes that the Introduction to the Constitution will be adopted during present parliamentary term. 

• European Commission decided to refer Latvia to the Court of Justice of the EU
• Vesti Segodnya interviews the Minister of Education Ina Druviete
• 7353 residence permits were issued in 2013

The European Commission decided to refer Latvia to the Court of Justice of the European Union because it allows only Latvian nationals to take up and practise the profession of notary. The Court of Justice of the EU already ruled in May 2011 (case against Belgium, Germany, Greece, France, Luxembourg, Austria and The Netherlands) that such nationality requirements are contrary to the principle of freedom of establishment, and that the activities of notaries are not covered by an exception concerning activities linked to public authority. Latvia was also asked to change the existing requirements regarding nationality of notary, but no actions have been taken. Vesti Segodnya, Diena

Vesti Segodnya interviews the Minister of Education Ina Druviete about the fact that the new government coalition envisages transition of ethnic minority schools to education in Latvian language only starting with 1 September 2018. According to Mrs Druviete, the government coalition does not say that education in Latvia will be in Latvian language only. Mrs Druviete says that Latvian schools are not divided by ethnic principle but there are schools which use education programs in ethnic minority languages and these programs will remain. Mrs Druviete says that the task is to ensure high level of state language proficiency which would guarantee unity of the society and competitiveness of school graduators. Ensuring language and culture of ethnic minorities is also an important task. Taking into account these two tasks the government thinks how to improve education in ethnic minority languages – says the Minister. According to Mrs Druviete, as of 2018 the majority of schools should use the first model of bilingual education according to which all the subjects are in Latvian except native language, literature and culture. The Minister plans to discuss the issue on increase of Latvian language lessons in kindergartens and to meet with directors of ethnic minority schools discussing situation and models of bilingual education used. 

According to Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, 7353 residence permits were issued in 2013 which is 977 permits more than in 2012. The biggest number of residence permits (2751) was granted to foreigners who bought real estate in Latvia. 1372 permits were granted concerning employment and commerce activities in Latvia. 1300 permits were granted for study purpose in Latvia, 663 foreigners received permits due to family ties. The majority of foreigners who received residence permit through large investments into Latvian economy were Russian (3090) and Chinese (445) citizens. Leader of the nationalists’ union All for Latvia!/FF-LNIM, MP Raivis Dzintars criticizing the existing system of granting residence permits to foreign investors as one of the arguments mentioning that some investors are connected to Russia’s security bodies and political organisations. Mr Dzintars also believes that “sale” of residence permits negatively impacts ethnic Latvian cultural environment. Neatkariga                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

• Minister of Education Ina Druviete: idea of Russia’s schools in Latvia is politically and legally unacceptable

Commenting Russia’s plans announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov to open Russia’s schools in Latvia, the new Minister of Education Ina Druviete stated that such idea is politically and legally unacceptable. According to the Minister, education program in all schools including private should correspond with Latvian standards, with the only exclusion of two education establishments – the International School of Latvia and Riga French School which have been established on the basis of a cross-country agreement.  At the same time, another representative of the Ministry of Education supposes that the model of a Sunday school is the only option how Russia’s schools could possibly work in Latvia. Latvijas Avize

• New government coalition agreement envisages transition of national minority schools to education in Latvian language only

• Rinkevics opposes opening of Russian schools abroad

 

Newspapers report that the new government coalition agreement envisages transition of national minority schools to education in Latvian language only. Vesti Segodnya reminds about the mass-scale protests against the transition to 60% of minority secondary education into Latvian language in 2003-2004. Lawyer and ex-MP Jurijs Sokolovskis believes this proposal will heighten tensions among the teachers, parents, minority civil society; he also regrets that 23 years since independence, Latvian elite is still fighting against minority schools. The leader of party "For Native Language" Vladimirs Lindermans stated that there is a need to establish organisations to defend the schools and such organisations should not just show protests, but also resist and draw attention of the world. International and European law expert, EP consultant Aleksejs Dimitrovs stated that this development reminds of the haste of the adoption of the previous reform of minority schools, which resulted in mass-scale protests and believes the current situation should be treated seriously and international attention should be drawn; he also points out that Latvia has obligations according to the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities to provide education in minority languages. Education specialists interviewed by Vesti Segodnya point out that minority children are not ready to study in Latvian. Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya

 

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov announced that Russia will soon start opening Russian schools abroad according to Russian educational standards to serve the educational needs of the Russian minority population. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia Edgars Rinkevics stated opening such schools in the Baltic states is totally unacceptable. Diena, Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya

• Neatkariga interviews the Ombudsman Juris Jansons
• Vesti Segodnya criticizes the Ombudsman
• Ainars Slesers proposes political parties to sign a manifest on nations’ reconciliation

Neatkariga interviews the Ombudsman Juris Jansons. The Ombudsman believes that idea of bilingual education is good and corresponds with human rights standards but only with one precondition – the meaning of the bilingual education should be ensured in practice. The Ombudsman blames left wing politicians such as Igors Pimenovs and Elizabete Krivcova (both members of the Concord Centre) who criticized his proposal to transfer secondary education in ethnic minority schools into Latvian language, in usage of children interests for their own political rating or a resource to maintain hatred in the society. Mr Jansons also blames Russian language mass media for, in his opinion, biased reflection of his statements. Thus, he declines that he ever said that he wants to close Russian language schools as newspapers reported. The Ombudsman also criticizes assimilation approach as a tool for integration and believes that it is important to consult with representatives of ethnic minorities about what they want.

Vesti Segodnya prints a critical article about the Ombudsman Juris Jansons. The newspaper criticizes the Ombudsman for his proposal to transfer education in minority school into Latvian language and for his arguments why such changes in education system are necessary. According to the newspaper, the Ombudsman says that he cares about competitiveness of Russian speaking students but his conclusion are based on subjective feeling and not on facts.

Latvijas Avize prints an interview with the leader of a new political party “United for Latvia” Ainars Slesers (ex-leader of the Latvia’s First Party, recently returned to politics.) Mr Slesers proposes political parties to sign a manifest on nations’ reconciliation in order to take out of politics radicalism, historical fear of Eastern neighbour country as these are one of the obstacles which hinder state’s development. Regarding the existing bilingual education system, Ainars Slesers states that he does not support transfer of education in all state funded ethnic minority schools into Latvian language only. Mr Slesers believes that it is wrong that there are still students with poor Latvian language proficiency, but instead of blaming children for it or ruin bilingual education, it is necessary to dismiss teachers who are not proficient in Latvian for required level and change school’s administration.