Latvia wants Russian as official language

A month-long campaign has begun in Latvia that could lead to Russian becoming an official language.

With nearly half the country’s population having Russian origins, support is strong for the constitution to be changed.

One Latvian MEP pushing for change says the move would have positive consequences for Europe.

“The only real possibility for the Russian language to appear in the EU is to achieve official status for it in Latvia, because Latvia has the biggest Russian-speaking population,” said Tatiana Zhdanok.

If at least ten percent of Latvia’s eligible voters back the move then amendments will be presented for parliamentary approval before a possible referendum.

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