The 2012 Latvia Language Referendum (original) (raw)

This referendum on constitutional amendments to add Russian as an official language in Latvia is the latest skirmish over the status of ethnic non-Latvians, primarily ethnic Russians, and the Russian language since Latvia's resumption of independence at the end of the Soviet occupation in 1991. Although peaceful and with a decisive negative result, the referendum highlighted and exacerbated the political divisions that remain between the Latvian majority and Russian-speaking minority over ethnic and linguistic issues. The proposed constitutional amendments would have altered Sections 4, 18, 21, 101, and 104 of the Constitution of Latvia. The changes would have made Russian a second official language in addition to Latvian. The amendments would further have explicitly made Russian a second working language of state and local governments and an acceptable, legal means of communication between citizens and the government. Finally, the amendments would have altered the oath for members of the Saeima so that they promise to strengthen "the Latvian language and the Russian language as the only official languages" instead of solely the Latvian language. In short, the amendments would have given Russian equal legal status to Latvian and ended the constitutional mandate for the promotion of Latvian as the single state language in the public sphere.

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