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Article published In: Revisiting Linguistic Territoriality in Contemporary Europe
Edited by Till Burckhardt, John Coakley and László Marácz
[Language Problems and Language Planning 45:2] 2021
► pp. 142–163

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Territorial and non-territorial arrangements in a multi-ethno-linguistic context

The case of the Baltic States

ORCiD logo with link | University of Pécs
Published online: 24 November 2021
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/lplp.00075.nem
Abstract
This article argues that the geographically dispersed distribution of the minorities in the Baltic republics (apart from the Poles in Lithuania and the Russians in Northeast Estonia) constitutes an objective obstacle to provision of territorially based minority rights. However, the potential alternatives to the territorial principle are also rarely adopted. The cultural autonomy model in Estonia and Latvia failed to be implemented in practice, while threshold rules (in respect of topographical bilingualism, for example) are in force only in Estonia, and there with the highest threshold in Europe (50%). The paper aims to explain the reluctance to adopt these solutions by reviewing the main factors that affect language policy implementation in general. It also considers the background to the debate over which languages need protection: the minority languages within the Baltic States or the titular languages themselves (Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian), which at the global level are small and vulnerable. In general, the strictness of language policies is in inverse relation to the size of the minorities, with Lithuania being the most liberal and Latvia the most restrictive.
Kopsavilkums
Šis raksts argumentē, ka minoritāšu ģeogrāfiski izkliedētais apdzīvotības sadalījums Baltijas valstīs (izņemot poļus Lietuvā un krievus Igaunijas ziemeļaustrumos) ir objektīvs šķērslis teritoriālā pieejā balstītu minoritāšu tiesību nodrošināšanai. Tomēr arī teritoriālās pieejas iespējamās alternatīvas reti tiek izmantotas. Kulturālās autonomijas modelis Igaunijā un Latvijā netika ieviests praksē, savukārt sliekšņa noteikumi (piemēram, attiecībā uz topogrāfisko divvalodību) ir spēkā tikai Igaunijā un tur tas ir ar augstāko slieksni Eiropā (50%). Raksta mērķis ir izskaidrot nevēlēšanos pieņemt šos risinājumus, pārskatot galvenos faktorus, kas ietekmē valodas politikas ieviešanu kopumā. Tajā ņemts vērā arī diskusiju fons par to, kurām valodām nepieciešama aizsardzība: mazākumtautību valodām Baltijas valstīs vai pašām titulvalodām (igauņu, latviešu un lietuviešu), kuras pasaules līmenī ir mazas un neaizsargātas. Kopumā valodas politikas stingrība ir apgriezti proporcionāla ar minoritāšu skaitlisko lielumu, Lietuvai esot visliberālākajai un Latvijai visierobežojošākajai.
Resumo
Ĉi tiu artikolo asertas, ke la geografie dismetita distribuo de la minoritatoj en la baltaj respublikoj (krom poloj en Litovio kaj rusoj en Nordorienta Estonio) konsistigas objektivan obstaklon al provizado de teritorie bazitaj minoritataj rajtoj. Tamen, la potencialaj alternativoj al la teritoria principo estas same malofte aplikataj. La kulture aŭtonomia modelo en Estonio kaj Latvio restis, en la praktiko, nerealigita, dum sojlaj reguloj (rilate, ekzemple, al topografia dulingvismo) validas nur en Estonio kaj, ĉi-kaze, kun la plej alta sojlo en tuta Eŭropo (50%). La referaĵo celas klarigi la hezitemon pri akcepto de tiuj principoj, farante tion per trastudo de la ĉefaj faktoroj kiuj influas lingvopolitikan efektivigon ĝenerale. Ĝi konsideras ankaŭ la fonon de la debato pri kiuj lingvoj bezonas protekton: la minoritataj lingvoj ene de la baltaj ŝtatoj aŭ la titolaj lingvoj mem (la estona, latva, litova), kiuj je tutmonda nivelo estas malgrandaj kaj fragilaj. Ĝenerale, la strikteco de lingvaj politikoj inverse rilatas al la grandeco de la minoritatoj, tiel ke Litovio estas la plej liberala kaj Latvio la plej limiga.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The territorial and personality principles
  • 3.Obstacles to territorially based minority rights
    • 3.1The ethno-linguistic landscape of the Baltic region
    • 3.2Spatial patterns of the ethnic structure
    • 3.3Attempts to build territorial autonomy
  • 4.Alternatives to territorially defined rights
    • 4.1Non-territorial cultural autonomy
    • 4.2Threshold rules
  • 5.Debates on language policy implementation
    • 5.1Protection of the official languages
    • 5.2Minority language rights
    • 5.3Representation and perceived discrimination
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
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