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Welcome to Via Baltica, your “information superhighway” for news from the three Baltic tigers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania! Our founder and editor-in-chief is Kerkko Paananen, senior news analyst with more than two decades of professional expertise in covering and reporting on current affairs in the Baltic States. We aim to do one thing well:…

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Estonia: Third power connection to Finland postponed

Estonia and Finland have postponed a decision on the construction of a third undersea electricity cable between the two countries until 2031, ERR reports. Kalle Kilk, CEO of Estonia’s state-owned transmission system operator, Elering, said that the timetable for the EstLink 3 project was pushed back at Finland’s request. Instead of the previously planned completion date of…

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Lithuania: Venice Commission warns against ad personam law

The Council of Europe’s advisory body on constitutional law, the Venice Commission, is warning Lithuania against legislation that could appear to target the current top management of the country’s public broadcaster, Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), BNS reports. The commission recommended that planned new rules on dismissing LRT’s director general only apply to office…

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Baltic: Disability discrimination highest in Estonia

The share of people with or without disabilities who felt discriminated against in administrative offices and public services is the EU’s highest in Estonia, according to survey data from Eurostat, LSM reports. As many as 14.6% of people with disabilities perceived discrimination when interacting with public administration or accessing public services in Estonia in 2024,…

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Lithuania: Finance Minister urges talks, pressure on US

Lithuania’s Finance Minister, Kristupas Vaitiekunas, urged the EU to pursue negotiations and prepare retaliatory measures after US President Donald Trump again threatened to raise tariffs, BNS reports. He predicted that the EU would be “in this game” through Trump’s entire term in office. “This process involving tariffs, negotiations, and pressure from both sides will be…

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Lithuania: Government to evaluate small modular nuclear reactors

The Lithuanian government is considering the possibility of allowing the construction of small modular nuclear reactors (SMR) in the country, LRT reports. Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas said that the government would identify two or three SMR technologies in 2026 for further evaluation in terms of technical and economic feasibility. The minister stressed Lithuania’s need to…

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