Public Attitudes toward On-Going Transitional Justice in Latvia: Sometimes More Isn't Better.

This article examines Latvia's prolonged use of citizenship requirements and language policies as transitional justice mechanisms aimed at addressing the Soviet legacy, particularly amid heightened security concerns following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Based on a nationally representative survey of 1,000 Latvian residents conducted in June 2023, the study finds only moderate public support for these measures, with significant ethnic polarization between ethnic Latvians—who tend to support the policies—and ethnic Russians—who largely oppose them. Notably, a strong majority across ethnic groups favored shifting government focus from past injustices toward solving current problems, suggesting that the political resonance of these transitional justice measures may have diminished after more than 30 years. The findings also reveal that younger respondents showed unexpectedly higher support for continued retributive measures than older cohorts, highlighting complex generational dynamics in attitudes toward transitional justice in Latvia.