• Study “Challenge for Civic Participation”: majority of Latvian mass media continue to actively cultivate the image of an enemy
• Minister of Justice Mareks Seglins issued a decree to change the requirements for applicants for the post of the director of the State Language Centre excluding requirement for Russian language proficiency
• Latvijas Avize prints an interview with two Russian speaking youths

The Centre for Public Policy „Providus” presented results of the third part of a study Challenge for Civic Participation (January – July 2009.) According to the study, the majority of Latvian mass media continue to actively cultivate the image of an enemy. Russian-speaking residents is the group most frequently subject to intolerant statements.  Latvijas Avize, NRA and Vesti Segodnya come out as most intolerant newspapers, while newspapers Telegraf, Chas and Diena are considered to maintain most objective position. Telegraf

Latvijas Avize reports that the Minister of Justice Mareks Seglins issued a decree to change the requirements for applicants for the post of the director of the State Language Centre (SLC) excluding requirement for Russian language proficiency. The Minister agrees with the ex-head of the SLC Dzinta Hirsa that the requirement for the Russian language proficiency contradicts the state language policy and Russian is not needed for execution of work duties. At the same time, proficiency in English will remain as one of the requirements.

Latvijas Avize prints an interview with two Russian speaking youths who recently finished high school and received Latvian citizenship through naturalisation.