Photo credit: M. Denisov / mos.ru (CC BY 4.0)
The Latvian authorities intend to limit the use of the Russian language in public places. Minister of Justice Janis Bordans announced the development of the relevant law, RIA Novosti reports.
Bordans underlined that lawmakers see it as their goal to ban "the use of a language that is not the language of the European Union." Trade and service sectors should become the first where the use of the Russian lanuage will be eliminated. The minister suggested that the Russian language would also disappear from telephone and banking messages.
As Bordans noted, in practice Russian and Latvian are often used simultaneously. He is sure that this should not be allowed, and society needs to be convinced that it is required to speak Latvian in business and work areas.
The politician believes that soon the draft law will be discussed in the government, then it will go to the Sejm.
Of the 1.8 million inhabitants of Latvia, 40% of the inhabitants are Russian speakers. Russian is considered a foreign language, and there is only one state language - Latvian.
According to amendments to the Latvian legislation, the full transition of education to the state language should be completed within three years. In 2023, all preschoolers will study in Latvian. They will also switch to the state language in the first, fourth and seventh grades of the basic school. From September 1, 2024, second graders, fifth graders and eighth graders will join them.
The Russian Foreign Ministry believes that Riga, by banning the Russian language, is mocking common sense and historical memory. The authorities risk provoking a serious crisis.
Russkiy Mir
