Latvian Elections Expose Growing Rift Between Latvians and Russians

RIGA, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Latvia's parliamentary election on Saturday could widen a growing rift between the country's Latvian majority and its Russian minority, amid concerns over the influence of Russian state media and the status of the Russian language in the country.

Russians make up around one third of the population of Latvia's capital Riga, and in the second largest city Daugavpils, Russians already formed a majority before World War I.

However, a wave of panic among Latvians holding Russian passports has been fanned by Russian state media, which has suggested that they could lose their citizenship if they do not vote for pro-Russian parties in the election.

The Russian language is spoken by a significant minority in Latvia. According to the External Migration Survey in 2017, it was the native language of 36% of the population.