“Democracy isn’t just the right to speak. It’s also the courage to let others speak,” the Latvian news portal Delfi quotes her as saying. “In Latvia, it is essential to know and respect the Latvian language —the foundation of our identity and a valuable asset. But do we have the right, in a democratic state and a member of the European Union, to ban the use of a language? Language in and of itself is not a threat. It is a tool through which people think, create, and communicate.
History has proven time and again: when the state begins to determine which languages, books, theaters, or cultural expressions are permissible and which are not, we take a step not toward freedom, but away from it.
A strong state is not afraid of languages. It inspires people to choose its language with pride, not out of fear. In my view, this is exactly how a strong democracy works,” wrote Anna Paula.
Earlier, Latvian Minister of Culture Nauris Puntulis issued an order requiring institutions under the ministry’s jurisdiction to eliminate the use of the Russian language in situations related to the performance of their duties, including at international events, in strategies, advertising, and on websites.
