• Neatkariga reports about a project on promotion of integration in Latgale region which provides Latvian language courses for third country nationals
• Egils Levits took the term “state nation” out of the draft Preamble to the Constitution of Latvia
• FHRUL renamed into Latvia’s Russian Union

Neatkariga reports about a project on promotion of integration in Latgale region which provides Latvian language courses for third country nationals. The courses should help residents to learn Latvian language in order to prepare for naturalisation exam and to get A and B language proficiency level.

Author of the draft Preamble to the Constitution of Latvia Egils Levits after consultations with the leaders of the political party “Unity” decided to take the term “state nation” out of the text. However, according to Vesti Segodnya, the term “state nation” was just replaced with term “ethnic Latvian nation.” The new draft document also became shorter. Discussion about the document should begin in the Saeima soon. Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize

The political party For Human Rights in United Latvia (FHRUL) renamed itself Latvia’s Russian Union. Thus the party stressed its activities in the field of protection of rights of ethnic Russian residents. The party also plans to run for the European Parliament’s elections. Latvijas Avize, Diena

• Nationalists’ union sent the coalition partners its proposal for the coalition’s agreement
• Moldova cancelled visa requirements for Latvian non-citizens

Latvijas Avize reports about proposals of the nationalists’ union All for Latvia!/FF-LNIM (NU) for the new government coalitions’ agreement. First of all, the NU wants that the coalition agree to adopt the draft Preamble to the Constitution of Latvia elaborated by Egils Levits; secondly, to adopt amendments to the Education law setting that all education programs starting with 1 September 2018 in state funded ethnic minority schools are in Latvian language only; thirdly, to limit granting of residence permits to foreigner owners of real estate in Latvia; and to limit the opportunities for foreigners to buy Latvian agricultural and wooded lands.

Vesti Segodnya reports that Latvian non-citizens, persons with documents of refugee and stateless person can travel to Moldova without visas starting with 3 January 2014.

• Ombudsman Juris Jansons sent an open letter to the President of Latvia Andris Berzins drawing attention at problems of education quality in minority schools
• Former State Auditor General Inguna Sudraba: ethnic Latvians and ethnic minorities have similar attitude towards social issues
• Chairman of the Constitutional Court Gunars Kutris: the draft Preamble to the Constitution contains statements which can offend people

The Ombudsman Juris Jansons sent an open letter to the President of Latvia Andris Berzins drawing attention at problems of education quality in minority schools and clarifying his position regarding transfer of education in secondary schools into Latvian language only. The Ombudman says that the results of the monitoring of 49 ethnic minority schools showed that legal regulation of bilingual education is clear and precise but it is incomplete in practice. In order to ensure enforcement of legal acts, it is important to increase state control over usage of state language and education process quality in ethnic minority schools, believes the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman also proposes to ensure secondary education in Latvian language only for minority students who for a certain period (five or six years) have studied in Latvian education system preserving such subjects in minority language as native language, literature, and culture.  Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya

Former State Auditor General Inguna Sudraba who has announced establishment of a new people’s movement in an interview with Latvijas Avize states that ethnic Latvians and ethnic minorities have similar attitude towards social issues. At the same time, Mrs Sudraba stresses that ethnic Russian residents are much more unconfident and feel tense due to statements of certain politicians, for instance, that they are not welcomed in this country and must go away.  Mrs Sudraba also believes that non-citizens wants dignified attitude towards themselves in a daily life and not to feel tense and threats.

Neatkariga interviews the Chairman of the Constitutional Court Gunars Kutris. According to Mr Kutris, the draft Preamble to the Constitution elaborated by the head of the President’s Commission on Constitutional Rights Egils Levits is a paper written by one author which can be discussed. According to Mr Kutris, the draft Preamble contains national values which are fair for ethnic Latvians and cannot be lost. But at the same time, Mr Kutris believes that it is important to remember that every text put in the Constitution becomes a part of a legal act and, therefore, such document cannot contain legal controversies. According to Mr Kutris, the draft Preamble contains statements which can offend people and he questions whether such issues should be included in the document which is not aimed on the split in the society.

• Members of a political party “For Native Language” established an association “Russian Dawn”
• Nationalists demand “Lattelecom” to remove Russian channels from available TV packages
• NGO “Shelter. Safe House” will provide language courses for third country nationals
• Governing coalition cannot agree who will control the Minister of Education

Members of a political party “For Native Language” Illarions Girs and Jevgenijs Osipovs have established an association “Russian Dawn.” In official statement it is said that the establishers of the association are initiators of the referendum on granting Russian language status of state language in Latvia which was conducted in February 2012. Among the aims of the “Russian Dawn” there are such issues as granting Latvian citizenship to non-citizens; strengthening in ethnic Russian residents sense of belonging to Russian world; strengthening of bonds between ethnic Russians in Latvia and Russia; strengthening of Russian language and culture and increase of importance of Russian language in Latvia and in the EU. The “Russian Dawn” also planned to fight against Russophobia and honouring Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires and to protect those who fought against Nazis and monuments established in their memory. Diena

Vesti Segodnya reports that the biggest telecommunications company with state share capital “Lattelecom” received number of claims from Latvian nationalists asking to remove Russian channels from available TV packages and replace those with the EU channels. “Lattelecom”, in its turn, explained that Russian channels have big demand among its clients, while, demand for channels of other EU countries is low.

NGO “Shelter. Safe House” launched a project aimed at integration and education of third country nationals. In the framework of the project, it is planned to conduct Latvian language courses in different Latvian regions. Vesti Segodnya

Newspapers report about the process of establishment of the governing coalition and distribution of ministries among parties. At the moment, it is unclear which party will overtake the post of Minister of Education as the Union of Greens and Farmers refused to put its representative on this post. The nationalists’ union All for Latvia!/FF-LNIM, on its own initiative, would like to control the Ministry of Education with the condition that the government coalition agrees to transfer education in all state funded schools into Latvian language only. However, none of the coalition partners supported such proposal yet. Vesti Segodnya, Diena, Latvijas Avize.

• Latvijas Avize reports about opening of the new Russian language and literature training room in Rezekne equipped with support of a Russia’s foundation “Russkiy Mir”

New Russian language and literature training room was opened in Rezekne (town in the East part of Latvia) secondary school equipped with support of a Russia’s foundation “Russkiy Mir.” The foundation donated to the school different books and multimedia materials. Director of the school believes that such training room will help students to learn Russian language and to get acquainted with Russian literature, art and cities better. Latvijas Avize notes that, according to the evaluation of the security Police, the foundation “Russkiy Mir” is one of the tools of so-called “soft power” used by Russia in order to achieve its aims. The foundation works in Latvian with several schools and similar training room was opened also in Valmiera (town in the Northern part of Latvia.) Latvijas Avize