Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-09-01-Speech-1-025"
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"en.20030901.4.1-025"2
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"Mr President, I was in Latvia a few weeks ago at the invitation of the Socialist Party of Latvia. I had the opportunity to obtain information about certain very serious violations of fundamental human rights, the occasional progress reports on Latvia notwithstanding.
Thus, the Communist Party of Latvia is still outlawed. Over 70 000 residents are deprived of all political rights and the right to obtain Latvian nationality, because eight months before the break up of the Soviet Union they had not left the Communist Party. For the same reason, Latvian citizens have no right to stand for election. Such is the case of Alfred Rubiks, the president of the Socialist Party, which is represented in parliament, and other important public figures.
Similarly, several hundred thousand out of a total population of 2 500 000 have no national identity, even though many have been living in Latvia for 100 years. 30% of the population have no voting rights and will not therefore be taking part in the referendum to be held on the European Union, meaning that the referendum is already null and void. Although 45% of the residents of Latvia are Russian speaking, the Russian-speaking universities were closed in 1998 and although the full ban on Russian primary and secondary schools was ultimately revoked in the face of protests, it was limited nonetheless to just 40% of lessons.
In the face of this situation, the European Union is maintaining a stand of guilty tolerance, not to say consent. Again we have the well-known policy of one sauce for the goose and another for the gander. And this situation is not only in Latvia, it is also in Estonia and elsewhere.
How do you intend to react, Mr President, especially as there is a similar situation, as I said, in Estonia where, among other things, monuments are being erected to the SS?"@en1
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