Council refutes allegations of pro-Nazi leanings in Latvia [23 Mar 2006]

Draft reply by the Council's Austrian presidency to the question posed by Athanasios Pafilis during the European Parliament's part-session on 16 March 2006.

Council reply to question by Athanasios Pafilis, European Parliament member, on major resurgence of fascism in Latvia

It is not within the competence of the Council to interfere with votes being held within the Parliament of one of its member states.

The Council, however, firmly rejects any allegations of "increasingly pro Nazi leanings" of the Latvian authorities. Such allegations have no basis in fact. The President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Latvia have repeatedly condemned all forms of totalitarianism. On 14 February 2006, Latvian Foreign Minister Pabriks declared: "We categorically denounce the Holocaust and genocide and the activities of the continuators of these ideologies. The increase in racist and xenophobic crimes in various European states attests that the totalitarian ideologies are not dead. The society and the institutions of law and order in Latvia too must continue the work on eradicating extremism".

The Communist Party of Latvia was banned by decision of the Parliament of Latvia of 10 September 1991. At that time, the Communist Party constituted a branch of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union which, throughout the history of the Soviet Union, de facto functioned as part of the state administration.

Any perceived violation of the rights under Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights (freedom of association) or its First Protocol (right to free elections) can be challenged before the European Court of Human Rights.

As regards the general issue of promoting the principle of non-discrimination in the EU, the Council has adopted a package of measures to combat these phenomena and in particular two Directives (The Racial Equality Directive (2000/43/EC) and the Employment Equality Directive (2000/87/EC)) backed up by a 6-year Community Action Programme to combat discrimination.

The European Union's Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) based in Vienna, provides additional support. In December 2003, European Heads of State and Government took the decision to extend the mandate of the EUMC to become a Fundamental Rights Agency which will complement existing mechanisms for the protection of Fundamental Rights. By providing service and advice to the EU Institutions and the Member States, the Agency is a further step to enhance the effectiveness and coherence of Human Rights Policy in the EU.

Question by Athanasios Pafilis, European Parliament member, on major resurgence of fascism in Latvia

The Latvian Parliament (Seim) recently voted to expel one of its members, Nikolai Kabanov, from the International Affairs Committee as a 'disciplinary measure' in response to his involvement in a screening of a film entitled 'Nazism in the Baltic' depicting the actions of the 'SS legions'. He was accused of acting 'against the interests of the State' and of addressing in Russian a meeting being held in the Latvian parliamentary chamber.

Following this unacceptable political decision which can only be interpreted as a gesture of support for efforts to justify past membership of the SS in Latvia, what view does the Council take of the increasingly pro-Nazi leanings of the Latvian authorities? What does it think of calls for the ban on Communist Party activities to be lifted, the overturning of undemocratic election laws preventing members of the former Communist parties and other organisations from participating in national and local elections and the enfranchisement of a large (Russian speaking ) section of the Latvian population deprived of its civic rights since 1991?