L’accesso alla cittadinanza degli appartenenti a minoranze: il caso della Lettonia, tra istanze nazionalistiche e condizionalità europea

The legislation on citizenship in Latvia between nationalistic claims and European conditionality

Abstract

Abstract: The article deals with the evolution of citizenship in Latvia. It focuses on thec hanging attitude of Latvian legislators also on account of the complex historical national events. Indeed, in the inter-war period, an inclusive approach to the historical minorities prevailed, but after the regained independence, through the principle of continuity, legislation evolved towards the exclusion of immigrants from the Soviet era. The study also analyses the influence of international pressures on recent regulatory choices and the contribution of EU conditionality, which has encouraged, with regard to citizenship, the start of policies geared towards a greater social inclusion of the Russian community. Latvian legislation, however, continues to nourish a fundamental tension between nationalistic and inclusive positions, which has an impact on inconsistent regulatory choices.