Lithuania: New laws to control fuel prices
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has proposed a draft law that would allow the government to…
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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:…
Lithuania: New laws to control fuel prices
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has proposed a draft law that would allow the government to set maximum consumer prices on petrol and diesel fuel by decree, ELTA reports. Under the law, the Energy Ministry would calculate and proclaim the daily fuel price cap under a specific formula. Retailers failing to comply with the price cap…
Latvia: Ban on Russian, Belarusian grain extended
The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, has extended a ban on the import of agricultural and animal feed products from Russia and Belarus until 1 July 2027, LSM reports. Latvia banned the import of certain agricultural products from the two aggressor states in March 2024. The ban applies to products originating from Russia or Belarus that…
Estonia: Ministers argue about anti-money laundering law
Estonia’s Finance Ministry has drafted legislative amendments that would grant the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) explicit authority to access banking data to combat money laundering, ERR reports. Under the law, banks would not be allowed to inform clients about such inquiries. Earlier, following criticism from Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise, Justice Minister Liisa Pakosta restricted…
Lithuania: GDP to grow 3.1% in 2026: central bank
Lithuania’s GDP will grow by 3.1% under a baseline scenario in 2026, according to the Bank of Lithuania’s latest forecast, ELTA reports. GDP growth will reach 2.0% in 2027 and 2.9% in 2028, the central bank projects. Under an adverse scenario, however, the country’s GDP growth will stand at 3.1% in 2026, at mere 1.6%…
Latvia: Drivers paid EUR 8.5mn in traffic fines in 2025
Drivers of motor vehicles in Latvia paid altogether EUR 8.5mn in traffic fines in 2025, according to the country’s Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD), LSM reports. The most violations were registered on the A8 and A1 highways and on Juglas Street in Riga. CSDD’s 100 stationary speed cameras record an average of 200,000 speeding violations…
Estonia: Hannes Hanso slated as new ambassador to US
Estonia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to nominate Hannes Hanso as the country’s new ambassador to the United States, ERR reports. He would replace Kristjan Prikk, who has been appointed to the post of Estonia’s ambassador to NATO. Currently, Hanso is Estonia’s ambassador to China, Mongolia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Previously, he has served as defence…
Lithuania: Airports offer 100 routes in summer 2026
Lithuania’s three international airports will offer flights to 100 destinations in 54 countries in summer 2026, state-owned airport operator Lietuvos Oro Uostai (LTOU) announced, The Baltic Times reports. LTOU’s airports will have more flights to Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Helsinki, and Warsaw. Vilnius International Airport will offer new direct routes to Gdansk in Poland and Podgorica in…
Latvia: Populists, progressives top party poll
Latvia’s populist opposition party, Latvia First (LPV), remains the country’s most popular political party, according to a new SKDS poll done in March 2026 for LTV, LSM reports. LPV now has the support of 8.9% of voters, which is up from 8.6% in the previous poll in November 2025. The ruling coalition’s Progressives comes in…
Estonia: 70% support president for second term
Most Estonians support the re-election of President Alar Karis for a second term in office, according to a new Norstat poll for the Institute for Societal Research (YI), Baltic News reports. The survey conducted in early March 2026 shows that 70% of respondents support and 17% oppose electing Karis for a second term. He is…