Saeima deputies submitted for consideration by the legal commission the amendments to the law on administrative penalties for violations in the field of governance, public order, and the use of the state language prepared by "New Unity," which provide for an increase in fines for disrespecting the state language.
The amendments provide for an increase in the amount of fines for almost all articles of the law regulating the use of the state language.
As previously stated by the leader of the "New Unity" faction, Edmunds Jurēvičs, the Latvian language is the foundation of Latvia as a national state, and its protection and use are not only a matter of culture but also of security. He noted that the amendments are not merely a repressive tool but reflect the state's clear position on the importance of the state language.
In recent years, the State Language Center has recorded more than 4,000 violations, including cases where the state language was not used in the performance of professional duties. The current fines were established in 2020 and no longer correspond to the economic situation and current language policy, the party notes.
The changes will affect both individuals and legal entities, and their aim is to have a preventive impact to strengthen society's respect for the norms established by the state, especially in the area of the use of the state language.
For individuals, the fine for various violations currently ranges from 7 to 28 penalty monetary units, and it is now proposed to increase it to 10–39 units.
For legal entities, the current fine ranges from 28 to 140 monetary units, and for certain articles, it can be up to 600 and 1,000 units. It is now proposed to increase it to 39–1,390 units depending on the severity of the violation.
The fine is also proposed to be increased for officials - from 14–60 penalty monetary units to 20–84 units.
A new version of Article 20 on disrespect for the state language is also proposed to be included in the law. Politicians propose to introduce a fine for explicit disrespect for the state language, as well as for actions aimed at diminishing the status and significance of the state language, ranging from 20 to 400 penalty monetary units, whereas the current fine is up to 140 units.
One penalty monetary unit is 5 euros.
