National Minorities’ Inclusion and Representation in Local Government Policy-Making in Latvia: A Case Study of Riga Municipality

Abstract

The aim of this article is to assess the extent of cooperation between municipalities and Latvia’s Russian-speaking minority towards the goal of securing its inclusion in the local governance of the nation. The research is split into two main parts. First, an analytical framework is established using governance theories, with a particular focus on the criteria of fairness and competences. Second, an empirical framework analyses various determi- nants on the basis of a case study of the Riga city municipality. The authors conclude that there is notable progress in the creation of formal frameworks fostering inclusiveness, in particular in public administration and legislation. However, several disadvantages are still observed when the attempts at inclusion encounter the two aforementioned criteria. As a result, the overall forms and initiatives towards cooperation fail to engender an environment that would foster new competencies or values for the general public or par- ticular stakeholders.