Baltic: Estonians more active than Latvians, Lithuanians
Estonians are markedly more active physically than Latvians and Lithuanians, according to Eurostat statistics, LSM…
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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:…
Baltic: Estonians more active than Latvians, Lithuanians
Estonians are markedly more active physically than Latvians and Lithuanians, according to Eurostat statistics, LSM reports. The data showed that 73.2% of Estonians aged 16 years or older engaged in physical activity outside work at least once a week in 2025, which was down from 82.4% in 2022. By comparison, a mere 52.3% (47.7%) of…
Lithuania: Parliament backs removing nuke ban
The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has approved in first reading a constitutional amendment that would abolish a ban on weapons of mass destruction, BNS reports. The amendment would allow deploying nuclear weapons on Lithuanian territory. Parliamentary speaker Juozas Olekas argued that removing the ban would strengthen Lithuania’s resilience and deterrence. Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said…
Latvia: Pro-Russian party leader under inquiry
Latvia’s Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) has opened an administrative inquiry into financial gifts that Julija Stepanenko, leader of the pro-Russian opposition party, Sovereign Power, received from her father, Russian businessman Sergey Fedotov, Baltic News Network reports. Earlier, Stepanenko declared having received EUR 420,000 in gifts from her father, whose company has supplied equipment…
Estonia: Parties to spend up to EUR 2mn on elections
Estonia’s major political parties will spend around EUR 1-2mn in campaigning ahead of the parliamentary elections in March 2027, ERR reports. Andres Metsoja, general secretary of the conservative opposition party, Fatherland, estimated that his party would spend around EUR 2mn in campaigning. Õnne Pillak, chairperson of the parliamentary group of the ruling Estonian Reform Party,…
Baltic: Hotel stays rose in 2025: statistics
The number of nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments in the Baltic States rose in 2025, according to Eurostat, LSM reports. However, the increase was due to foreign tourists, the data showed. Nights spent at hotels and other short-term accommodation establishments in Lithuania totalled 9.436 million in 2025, which was up 9.2% from 8.640 million…
Lithuania: Government approves draft budget for 2027
The Lithuanian government has approved the draft state budget for 2027, BNS reports. Budget revenue, including EU funds, is expected at nearly EUR 22.2bn, which would be up 5.2% from 2026, BNS reports. Budget spending will total EUR 27.9bn, up 1.3% over a year. The State Social Insurance Fund’s (SoDra) revenue is projected at nearly…
Latvia: New railway line to Riga Airport to be built
Latvia’s state-owned railway company, Latvijas Dzelzcels (LDz), has signed an agreement with the Finance Ministry’s Central Finance and Contracts Agency (CFLA) on a project to build a new railway line to Riga International Airport, LSM reports. Under the contract, LDz and state-owned Eiropas Dzelzcela Linijas (EDZL) plan to build a new branch line from the…
Estonia: China protests MPs celebrating Taiwan’s National Day
The Chinese embassy in Estonia has sent a diplomatic note to the country’s parliament, the Riigikogu, protesting the participation of Estonian MPs at a reception celebrating Taiwan’s National Day in Tallinn, ERR reports. Altogether eight MPs from various parties attended the event, which was organised by Taiwan’s representative office in Latvia. The Chinese embassy suggested…
Baltic: Estonians travelled less in 2025: statistics
Estonians travelled less and Lithuanians and Latvians more in 2025 than a year earlier, according to Eurostat, LSM reports. The data showed that Lithuanians made altogether 7.19 million overnight trips in 2025, which was up 4.4% from 6.89 million in 2024. The number of trips by Latvian residents totalled 5.04 million, which was up 3.0%…