systems of power created by the titular Baltic elites Latgallians, Zhemaitians and Setu occupy a lower social status than the actual Latvians – Baltieshi, Lithuanians and Estonians, but higher than the Russian and Polish. Higher social status they provide citizenship and a good knowledge of the language of the titular nation. However Latgallians, Zhemaitians and Setu are not able to send their children to schools in their native language and to familiarize them with the basics of the history and culture of the people. In the languages of these peoples are not published magazines and newspapers; they do not have the ability to create their own radio and television programs at the state’s expense. In respect of Setu and Zhemaitians this can be explained to their low number. For Latgalians case is a fundamental unwillingness Latvians to give them the opportunity to develop their national identity. In the political elite Latgalians can enter only if they completely abandon their distinct ethnic identity.
In general, we can say that the Latvian-Latgal, Lithuanian-Zhemaitian and Estonian-Setu conflicts are of secretive nature. For Russian and Polish considered small ethnic groups occupy the position of titular elites, though not as aggressive.
On the situation of ethnic conflict in the Baltic States have a certain influence “mother states” of non-titular ethnic groups, particularly Russia and Poland, to a lesser extent Israel.
Russia considers neutral Russian compatriots, but supports it in the reproduction of Russian identity. Russian children are provided quotas to free higher education in Russia; they are actively invited to various seminars and courses, and organized by the Russian embassies. On the Baltic countries in Russian language are broadcasting the First Baltic television Channel, channel REN TV Baltic, “Voice of Russia” and “Russian radio”. Financial aid is provided to support the Russian culture and the Russian language. To finance these activities in Russia has been specially created fund “Russian world”. Non-citizens of Latvia and Estonia have the right to visa-free entry to Russia.
Prior to the 2000s, Russia is closely linked the development of political and economic relations with the Baltic States to the position of the Russian population. Following this milestone, under pressure from of a major Russian capital employed export of hydrocarbons; these two topics had been separated. In all conflicts concerning mass statelessness Russian population, infringement of its rights to receive education in their native language and the use of the Russian language in the official sphere, Russia has expressed diplomatic statements. Recently, the Foundation began to act legal support to Russian compatriots living abroad. It provides assistance in protecting the rights of compatriots from discrimination in national and international courts.
Poland demonstrates greater political activity in support of their communities abroad. This is reflected in the intensive political pressure on the Baltic States in protecting the rights of Poles to teach children in their mother tongue and to use the Polish language in the public sphere. Poland provides financial support for the development of Polish culture and its language. Poland has introduced a “map of the Pole”, which gives living abroad almost the same rights as Polish citizens.
Israel supports the Jewish community in questions of education for children in Hebrew, gives you the opportunity to get in it higher education in their ethnic homeland, fights for the return of property to Jewish communities, against the resurgence of neo-Nazi sentiment in the Baltic States. In solution of the last two problems are actively involved international Jewish organizations.
Independent players influencing the development of ethnic conflicts in the Baltic countries are the United States and the European Union.
U.S. secretive supports the radical nationalists who preach anti-Russian, and even neo-Nazi moods. Managed through the activities of the radical nationalists ethnic conflict can worsen the relationship between Russia and the European Union, which since 2004 include Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. As a result of this ethnic conflict, these two important geopolitical opponents United States weakens their position.
The European Union considers the organized Russian communities of the Baltic States as a factor in the potential of Russian influence. Therefore the European bureaucracy does not impedes Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian ethnocrats the political line on the assimilation of the Russian population. Emerging ethnic conflicts involving Russian population it prefers not to notice.
In general, it should be noted that the development of ethnic conflicts in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia in the post-Soviet period has initiated the former Communist nomenclature, which provided the appropriation of state property, complete preservation of positions of power and income security. Titular bureaucracy implements its power through ethnocratic regimes that include mechanisms of displacement non-titular population abroad, deprivation of citizenship rights, linguistic and cultural discrimination, intimidation of non-titular population and the destruction of its social institutions.
Open form is being acquired Latvian-Russian conflict in Latvia, the Russian-Estonian in Estonia, Russian-Lithuanian and Polish-Lithuanian in Lithuania. Latvian-Latgalian, Lithuanian-Zhemaytiskian and Estonian-Setu conflicts are still hidden, but also slowly developing.
Russia and Poland are putting pressure on the Baltic ethnocratic regimes, but the latter afford to ignore the pressure. The reason for this is to support ethnocratic Baltic regimes like the U.S. who are interested in maintaining the ethnic conflicts in the heated state and the European Union, which has a negative attitude towards residing in it Russian population.
Ethno-political conflicts and national identity in Latvia
Dr. pol. Mihail Rodin
Institute of European Studies, Latvia
Background. As conceptual guidelines for the analysis of ethno-political conflicts and national identities in our study in Latvia, we rely on the Huntington’s theory of cultural identities, or “civilizations” involved in the inevitable conflicts. These conflicts have resulted in the end to the “clash of civilizations.” We share the conviction that the “identity matters.” Our difference consists in focus to micro ethno-political and cultural communities and identities in one region – Latvia. Our interest was caused by the way the Latvian nation and its ethnic groups, as well as forming their identities (certainly within the Western and Slavic-Orthodox civilization) constitute a clash or a tolerant coexistence.
The inevitable nature of the politization of ethnicity and ethnic conflict in multicultural ethnic societies, pointed out in his writings Horowitz, which makes the methodological foundation for understanding the causes and dynamics of ethnic and cultural relations in Latvia. From the point of view of the theory of democracy, ethnic conflict is a threat to the democratic regime, especially in the case of the dominant ethnic group of subordinated ethnic minorities.
In the current approaches to the analysis of conflicts and identities, we adhere to primordial’s version of conflictology. According to this version of the ethnic studies, the type of primordial’s ethnic group is the cause of the conflict, which is irrational, affective and, in principle, insoluble. “The nutritional basis” of these conflicts are “sacred symbols” of the past, religious, ethnic and cultural heritage. Primordial ethnic conflict and national identity often embodied in various forms of violence or confrontation
Despite the general instrumentalist adhered by the impact of economic factors on the mass consciousness and behavior, we do not believe that ethnic and cultural conflicts can certainly be explained only by a deficit of social and economic resources or the macro-economic crisis. Explanatory causes of ethnic conflicts priori include a number of “factors hard to explain.” Therefore primordialism traditionally views “clash of civilizations” as Huntington’s inevitable and non-permissive.
Field of testing primordial approach to the analysis of conflicts and identities for us is ethnic democracy in Latvia (theoretical basis which gives S.Smouha and P.Jaarve, 2005). Ethnic democracy in Latvia includes a number of features:
