RIGA — The Russian-speaking minority in Latvia is often portrayed as an arrogant community that is reluctant to learn the language of the country they live in. This image, which has been carefully nurtured by Latvia’s political establishment, is inaccurate and disrespectful of Russian speakers’ customs and culture.
The article “Riga to Russian-speakers: Learn Latvian” (November 2018) contributed to this idea by claiming most minority students are not fluent in Latvian and painting Latvia’s new law on the instruction of Russian in schools in a positive light. The reality is somewhat more complex.
The assertion that many minority students are not fluent in Latvian is baseless. Minority schools have a successful system of bilingual education. Nearly all students speak Latvian, and language proficiency is on the rise among the younger generation.
The relentless attempts to eliminate Russian despite the evidence that bilingual education works, and without any regard for the concerns of Russian-speaking parents, is misguided.
There is an alternative explanation to the “bad Russians” narrative. Latvia has long struggled with serious economic and social problems, especially in the wake of the 2008 economic crisis. Its real GDP growth over the last 10 years has been stagnant, and it has lost more than 10 percent of its population. An average monthly retirement pension is €331. Unsurprisingly, Latvia’s mainstream politicians are using “us-versus-then” politics to distract voters from their own failures. And unfortunately, Latvia’s Russian-speaking minority has proven an easy target, especially after 2014.
Why should Europe care? Firstly, because policies that seek to alienate and exclude an ethnic minority in a member country are a disgrace to European values. Secondly, because neighboring Russia is paying close attention to the fate of Russians in Europe. It will see this type of policy — which goes against the interests of Russian minorities — as evidence of duplicity toward Russia, which will only deepen mistrust between Moscow and Europe.
Vjačeslavs Dombrovskis
Member of the Latvian parliament, Concord parliamentary group
Riga, Latvia