Толерантність vs інтолерантність: кейс Латвії як увиразнення ціннісної та інституційної амбівалентності

Abstract

The article examines Latvia's compliance with the EU's institutional and value strategy for promoting the principle of tolerance. The main manifestations of intolerance in the social and political life of Latvia as a "young" democracy are investigated. The legal gaps, the peculiarities of the political and legal culture of the population and other factors that cause intolerance in Latvia, despite this country's 2004 membership in the EU, have been emphasized. Institutional reforms aimed at strengthening the value of tolerance and preventing destructive intolerant practices are analysed. Providing tolerance for Latvia is called a challenge for this country. It was stressed that countering intolerance remains an important component of the country's still unfinished post- socialist democratization. Attention is paid to maintaining a high percentage of non-citizens in the population structure of Latvia. It is emphasized that in Latvia there is the highest level of sexual minority intolerance in the Baltic countries group, especially the expressed intolerance towards transgender and intersex people. It is noted that the legislation of Latvia is not yet fully consistent with the European Commission's General Policy Recommendation against Racism and Intolerance No. 7 in the fight against racism and racial discrimination. Attention is drawn to the lack of special services in law enforcement agencies to assist victims of hate speech. It has been stated that there is a lack of promotion of counter-speech in response to racist, homo- / transphobic hate speech on the part of high-ranking officials and public activists. This contributes to the fact that those who resort to hate speech do not feel public condemnation and increase their destructive presence in Latvia. Attention was drawn to the problem of preserving the marginalization of Roma, especially in the area of employment, provision of public health and education services. The article states that there are manifestations of anti-Semitism in Latvia, especially in Internet discourse. It is noted that despite the small number of refugees received in recent years by Latvia, there is a high level of intolerance of asylum seekers. At the same time, public opinion is often formed precisely because of the destructive public rhetoric of Latvian politicians. The general problem of Latvia is the high tolerance for violence in general – at home, at school, against certain social groups, etc. It is indicated that in this country there is a high tolerance for various destructive unlawful practices, such as involvement in the shadow economy, the purchase of smuggled goods, and so on. The author of the article argues that the reasons for the mentioned problems of Latvia are not least in the plane of the political and legal culture of the Latvians, in which the intolerance to diversity and the neoliberal-democratic values, on which the EU is oriented, are still quite strong.