Some of Latgale’s population is not very loyal to Latvia, and this is deeply concerning, said chairman of Saeima’s National Security Committee Māris Kučinskis in an interview to Diena newspaper.
He stressed that the situation in Latgale is monitored all the time and the State Security Service (VDD) informs NDK of the developments, as well as possible development scenarios.
«What we have seen publicly so far is an external sign, but some people there are not too loyal towards the country,» comments Kučinskis.
It is clear that the main reason for this is the long time those people have spent living in Russia’s information space, which has prevented them from becoming Latvia’s patriots.
Th politician notes that having cut off legal access to Russian television channels, it is now necessary to look for other content for these people to consume. «Of course, news reports alone will not attract a large audience immediately. We should consider more varied and interesting entertainment programmes. This is how it happened in Ukraine,» said Kučinskis.
He also reminded of Latvia’s long-standing problem – when many residents still use illegally acquired satellite antennas, and it remains difficult to battle illegal content on the internet.
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«It is clear that it is necessary to find some alternative to the Russian channels that were shut down in Latvia. This is why the discussion continues on how to attract Russian-speaking residents to content produced in Latvia and other countries. For example, the National Electronic Mass Media Council has offered the idea to broadcast Latvian channels free of charge,» said the chairman of the committee in his interview to Diena, adding that this discussion is nothing new.
When asked if the capacity of Latvian law enforcement institutions is sufficient to catch all people who support Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, Kučinskis said so far VDD has not submitted any requests to increase their capacity. Services are aware of the situation and are able to deal with it in a time of war, says the politician, adding that, if need be, law enforcement institutions will take severe measures against any support of Russia’s aggressive policy.
«As for the possibility of VDD and State Police not being able to deal with the situation, at the start of the war we made it clear to them that if they face problems, require additional resources, NDK would definitely present the issue to the Saeima,» said Kučinskis.
Opinion: the disloyalty of some of Latgale’s residents towards Latvia is deeply concerning
