Government’s action plan calls for dual citizenship by year’s end

Andris Straumanis | 

It will be up to the Ministry of Justice to work out details of the Latvian government’s proposed changes to the Citizenship Law, and to do so by the end of the year, according to a new action plan approved Feb. 15 by the Cabinet of Ministers.

The plan provides a roadmap to completing more than 950 goals of Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis’s coalition government. Among those goals is offering dual citizenship to Latvian citizens who have obtained citizenship in other European Union member states or countries that are partners in the NATO defense alliance.

The government also wants to allow wartime exiles and their descendants to once again be able to register as Latvian citizens without giving up citizenship in their adopted countries. Persons who left the country during the five decades of Soviet occupation also could be eligible for dual citizenship.

The ministry’s deadline, according to the action plan, is Dec. 31.

The Ministry of Justice also is to guarantee that it is represented during meetings of the Saeima’s Law Commission, which has under consideration amendments to the Citizenship Law proposed Jan. 24 by the National Association (Nacionālā apvienība “Visu Latvijai!” – “Tēvzemei un Brīvībai/LNNK”).

The Unity (Vienotība) bloc, one of two parties in the coalition government, submitted its proposed amendments to the Citizenship Law on Feb. 17.

The Saeima also is considering changes pushed by President Valdis Zatlers.

Andris Straumanis is a special correspondent for and a co-founder of Latvians Online. From 2000–2012 he was editor of the website.

Interior minister quits, calls on Latvians to consider their role

Latvians Online | 

Latvia’s interior minister Linda Mūrniece, who has been under increasing pressure since a shootout in Jēkabpils between local police and a gang of police bandits, is stepping down.

Mūrniece submitted her resignation to Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis on Feb. 17.

She has been the minister of the interior since March 2009. During that time, according to an Interior Ministry press release announcing her resignation, Mūrniece has been forced to accept and realize decisions that have been put off for years. The ministry, she added, has been underfunded for years.

“If I have not been able to change anything, then with this step I ask every resident of Latvia to think about their responsibility, to offer advice, to help, to think together and to work together, not just actively criticize,” Mūrniece said.

Following the Jan. 25 shootout, during which officer Andris Znotiņš was killed, calls for Mūrniece to step down escalated along with renewed focus on police corruption. Among those demanding her resignation was the United Police Trade Union of Latvia (Latvijas Apvienotā policistu apvienība), which said it has repeatedly warned about problems caused by low pay and poor working conditions for law enforcement workers.

Dombrovskis has not yet accepted Mūrniece’s resignation, according to Latvian media reports, and first wants to meet with her. Both the prime minister and Mūrniece are members of the Unity (Vienotība) bloc.

AFS offers one-month program in Latvia to learn language, culture

Amanda Jātniece | 

AFS Latvia is once again offering a one-month program of intensive Latvian language and culture study in Latvia for teenagers and young adults from around the world.

Students can choose either July 2011 or December 2011—January 2012, depending on what fits better with their home country school schedules. The program offers not only lessons in language, history, and culture, but also many cultural activities, such as dancing, singing, cooking, handicrafts, and participation in traditional solstice celebrations.

The program takes place in the coastal city of Liepāja. Students live with host families, thus experiencing the language and culture at its very heart—in the home. AFS Latvia is able to host 10-15 students, age 15 to 30 years. No previous knowledge of the Latvian language is necessary.

Application deadlines for the summer and winter programs are April 1 and Oct. 1, respectively. For more information and to register, contact your local AFS office (see www.afs.org). If there is no AFS office in your country, contact AFS Latvia at www.afs.lv or Ieva Vīksna at ieva.viksna@afs.org or +371 67280646.

Last year’s students prepared promotional videos, which can be seen on YouTube and on www.liepajniekiem.lv.

This program is an opportunity for the children of second- and third-generation Latvians living abroad to explore their ethnic heritage. It is a chance to be fully immersed in the culture—to speak, think and live in Latvian.