National Minorities Protection in the Republic of Latvia from the Perspective of the Polish Minority - Constitutional and Legal Study

Abstract

This publication analyses the legal and actual position of the Polish minority in the Republic of Latvia. It was conducted on the basis of dogmatic and legal-historical methods. In the course of the analysis it was established that the legal status of the Polish minority is based on few constitutional regulations and to a large extent it is derived from ordinary legislation and bilateral agreements. These regulations fully comply with the principle of a democratic state of law. The Polish minority receives a favourable social attitude towards its national identity. The integration process is assessed as exemplary and constitutes a counterbalance to Russian influence. The publication focuses on issues related to language, education and media - the carriers of culture and knowledge about the motherland. The following problems of the Polish minority have been identified: a difficult economic background, a decrease in the use of Polish in the private sphere and the lack of sufficient support and interest in the fate of Poles in Latvia on the part of Polish decision-makers.