After the Referendum: Militant Democracy and Nation-Building in Latvia. (May 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ijabs, Ivars
• Is Part Of: East European politics and societies. Volume 30:Number 2(2016)
• Page Start: 288
• Page End: 314
• Publication Date: 2016-05
• Subjects: Latvia -- militant democracy -- nation-building -- ethnic democracy -- liberal republican democracy; Europe, Eastern -- Politics and government -- 1945-1989 -- Periodicals; Europe, Eastern -- Politics and government -- 1989- -- Periodicals; Europe, Eastern -- Social conditions -- Periodicals; 947.0005
• DOI: 10.1177/0888325415593630
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0888-3254

Abstract

During the years 2011–2014, Latvia experienced a significant increase in the adoption and use of militant democracy measures—constitutional amendments, refusals of party registration, restrictions on referendums and popular initiatives. These events, triggered by a widely attended referendum on the introduction of Russian as the second state language, highlighted the problematic relations between democracy and nation-building in Latvia. Despite earlier expectations that the original militancy of Latvian democracy would decrease with the gradual integration of the Russophone minority, recent developments show that the defence of a particular type of nation-building has become an integral part of Latvian democracy. Contrary to earlier attempts to describe Latvia as an example of ethnic democracy, this article argues that the nation-building proceeds on the basis of a not fully consistent combination of elements of ethnic and liberal republican approaches.