Baltic: Estonia best on press freedom in 2026
Estonia ranked highest in the Baltic States on the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press…
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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: Estonia best on press freedom in 2026
Estonia ranked highest in the Baltic States on the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index in 2026, BNS reported. Estonia ranked 3rd on the global index of 180 countries and territories surveyed, which was down from 2nd place in 2025. Meanwhile, Lithuania ranked 15th (14th), and Latvia stood in 17th (15th) place. Estonia…
Latvia: Trade unions urge minimum wage hike in 2027
The Free Trade Union Confederation of Latvia (LBAS) has proposed raising the country’s minimum monthly wage by at least EUR 55 to EUR 835 in 2027, LETA reports. Currently, Latvia’s minimum wage stands at EUR 780 per month, while the tax-free income threshold is EUR 550 per month. LBAS noted that under government rules, the…
Lithuania: Insurance market up 9% in 2025
Lithuania’s insurance market totalled EUR 1.73bn in terms of premiums written in 2025, which was up 9.2% from 2024, according to data from the Bank of Lithuania, Baltic News reports. Non-life insurance premiums amounted to EUR 1.339bn (up 10.2%) and life insurance premiums to EUR 391mn (up 5.7%). Insurers paid a total of EUR 927mn…
Estonia: Eesti Post turned profit in 2025
Estonia’s state-owned postal services provider, Eesti Post (Omniva), generated total revenues of EUR 154.7mn in 2025, which was up EUR 13.3mn (9%) from 2024, ERR reports. Revenue from parcel and courier services amounted to EUR 109.4mn (up 13%), from postal services to EUR 38.6mn (down slightly), and from universal postal services to EUR 7.6mn (down…
Lithuania: Poverty rising, rural regions hit hardest
Poverty in Lithuania has increased across the country, particularly in remote regions, LRT reports. Nearly 700,000 people are living below the poverty risk threshold. The average poverty level in rural areas is almost twice as high as in cities. In some municipalities, every third resident is living in poverty. Ugne Uzgale, head of strategy and…
Estonia: Armed forces, allies to assist law enforcement
The Estonian government has approved legislative amendments to improve the country’s defence against so-called “little green men” and hybdrid attacks, ERR reports. Specifically, the bill would allow the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF) to engage in law enforcement activity and NATO allied personnel to participate in countering hybrid threats and ensuring border security under EDF command….
Lithuania: Social Democrats confirm party chairman
The party congress of the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP) has elected Mindaugas Sinkevicius as the party’s chairman until 2029, LRT reports. He was the only candidate for the post, receiving 503 votes out of 535. Sinkevicius has led LSDP since August 2025 after the party’s previous chairman, MP Gintautas Paluckas, resigned amid a…
Latvia: Artists protest Russia at Venice Biennale
Latvian artists have launched a protest campaign against Russia’s participation in the Venice Biennale arts exhibition in Italy, Ukrainska Pravda reports. The campaign, “Death in Venice”, was organised by the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art (LLMC) together with the Latvian national pavilion at the exhibition. The Latvian artists stressed that institutional neutrality in relation to…
Estonia: Populist opposition party names founder for president
Estonia’s populist opposition party, the Conservative People’s Party of Estonia (EKRE), has nominated its founder and former chairman, Mart Helme, as its presidential candidate, ERR reports. Helme said that his key concepts were “nation, family, and home.” Were he to be elected president, Helme said that his first task would be to “restore constitutional order…