Lithuania: Venice Commission urges to rectify public broadcaster law
The Council of Europe’s advisory body on constitutional law, the Venice Commission, urged the Lithuanian…
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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: Venice Commission urges to rectify public broadcaster law
The Council of Europe’s advisory body on constitutional law, the Venice Commission, urged the Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, to improve draft amendments to the law governing the country’s public broadcaster, Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), BNS reports. The commission said that the draft law may violate the European Convention on Human Rights and the…
Latvia: Industrial production up 9.2% in Q1/2026
Latvia’s industrial production output increased by 9.2% in the first quarter of 2026, compared to the same period of 2025, according to the Central Statistical Bureau’s (CSP) calendar-adjusted data at constant prices, LSM reported. Output rose by 1.0% in manufacturing and by 40.6% in electricity and gas supply, but fell by 30.7% in mining and…
Estonia: Industrial production down 3.1% in March 2026
Estonia’s industrial production declined by 3.1% at constant prices in March 2026 compared to the same period of 2025, according to Statistics Estonia, ERR reports. Output increased by 5.9% in mining, but decreased by 19.5% in energy production and by 1.2% in manufacturing. In the manufacturing sector, output in wood processing rose by 5%, fabricated…
Baltic: Prison population highest in Latvia
The prison population per capita in the Baltic States is the highest in Latvia, according to Eurostat data, LSM reports. Latvia had 187 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2024, which was up 8% from 173 in 2023. The figure was the third-highest in the entire EU. Lithuania’s prison population stood at 155 (159) and Estonia’s…
Lithuania: Swedish royals to pay official visit
Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia will visit Lithuania on 18 May 2026, the Swedish royal court announced, BNS reports. The royal couple will meet with President Gitanas Nauseda and representatives of local organisations supporting Ukraine. Also, Queen Silvia will inaugurate a new nursing hospital in Vilnius. The last time that the Swedish…
Latvia: airBaltic needs new capital: Finance Minister
The Latvian government will have to decide on additional capital needed for the country’s national air carrier, airBaltic, in 2026, Finance Minister Arvils Aseradens stated, LETA reports. He stressed that the airline’s future operations required capital investment. However, the government would have to seek additional sources of funding for such an investment, the minister explained….
Estonia: PM proffers ex-President for second term
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal suggested that former president Kersti Kaljulaid could be nominated as a candidate in presidential elections due in September 2026, ERR reports. Michal noted that incumbent president Alar Karis did not seem to have sufficient support in the parliament, the Riigikogu, to be reelected for a second term. Earlier, Lauri Läänemets,…
Lithuania: Parliament strips ex-PM of immunity
The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has stripped former prime minister Gintautas Paluckas of his parliamentary immunity, BNS reports. The decision allows prosecutors to investigate Paluckas for alleged illicit enrichment and abuse of office. Paluckas and his wife, Ilma Palucke, are suspected of having acquired cars, real estate, and securities worth nearly EUR 344,600 with income…
Latvia: Two drones from Russia crash near border
Several unmanned aerial vehicles entered Latvian airspace from Russia, and two of them crashed in eastern Latvia, in the early morning hours of 7 May 2026, according to the Latvian National Armed Forces (NBS), LETA reported. One of the drones crashed at East-West Transit’s oil storage facility in Rezekne, LETA reported. No significant damage and…