Latvian Language Restrictions Face ECHR Challenge
The Social Democratic party “Harmony” (Saskaņa) is challenging Latvia’s language restrictions in election campaigns, taking its case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The party argues that these restrictions infringe upon freedom of expression and the right to free elections, basic tenets of a democratic society.
The Core of the complaint
“Saskaņa” contends that while Latvian is the official language and spoken by most residents, limiting minority languages during pre-election campaigning creates barriers to information access and political participation. The party emphasizes the importance of reaching all segments of the population, especially given that, according to 2022 statistics, Russian is the native language of 37.7% of Latvia’s population.
Divergent Views on Justification
the party’s stance clashes with the Constitutional Court’s justification for the language restrictions. The court has cited the geopolitical landscape and concerns about Russian interference in elections as reasons for maintaining the current regulations. “Saskaņa” disputes this, arguing that such restrictions are disproportionate and undermine democratic principles.
expert Opinions and Legal Precedents
“Saskaņa” bolsters its case with expert opinions and references to previous ECHR rulings. The party cites the Latvian ombudsman’s opinion from Sept. 9, 2024, which states that the restrictive measure is excessively broad and seriously threatens freedom of expression and democratic pluralism.
Furthermore, Constitutional Court judge Jānis Neimanis, in an opinion published on April 11, 2025, argued that the ban on minority languages in pre-election campaigning violates freedom of expression as set out in Article 100 of the Latvian constitution.
The party also draws parallels to past ECHR cases, including Mestan v.Bulgaria (2023), where the court ruled that banning Turkish in pre-election campaigns violated freedom of expression.A similar violation was found in a case against Turkey regarding the use of Kurdish in voter meetings.
A Parliamentarian’s Outlook
Nils Ušakovs, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from “Harmony,” voiced his frustration: Our complaint today is a fight for freedom of speech and common sense. I don’t understand why, as a democratically elected Member of the European Parliament, I cannot inform Russian-speaking Latvian citizens in Russian about home insulation opportunities through EU funds. This is discrimination and absurd.
Additional Legal Challenges
Beyond the language restrictions in campaigns, “Harmony” is preparing a second complaint to the ECHR concerning language proficiency tests for Russian citizens residing in Latvia. This issue was debated in the European Parliament’s Petitions Committee in April 2024, following Ušakovs’ initiative, and remains under review.
Current Regulations
Existing regulations stipulate that paid pre-election campaign materials in Latvia must be published in the official state language or, alongside the state language, translated into official languages of the European Union.
