Latvia to hold Russian as 2nd language vote

PanARMENIAN.Net - The European Union could start speaking in Russian, if a referendum in Latvia on Saturday, February 18 succeeds in making it the second official language of the country, the European Commission acknowledged on the eve of the vote.

When a language becomes official, the EU has to translate all its documents into it and offer interpretation. Currently there are 23, but ordinary EU business is conducted either in French, English or German.

If Latvian citizens choose to make Russian a second official language in their country, their government could ask for it to be granted the same status in the EU, commission spokesman Dennis Abbott told reporters in Brussels.

However, “it is not automatic,” he pointed out - mentioning the precedent of Spain and Britain which recognize languages other than Spanish and English in their territory, such as Catalan and Welsh, but have not asked for their EU-level recognition.

Introducing Russian to EU institutions would be politically sensitive for former Soviet bloc members of the union.

But analysts say Saturday's referendum in Latvia is unlikely to succeed, given that ethnic Russians are a minority in the country, and many of them still do not have the right to vote after losing their citizenship following the break-up of the Soviet Union.