Lithuania: Presidential aide urges debate on Vilnius metro
Lithuania should resume discussion on the possibility of building a metro system in Vilnius, Vaidas…
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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: Presidential aide urges debate on Vilnius metro
Lithuania should resume discussion on the possibility of building a metro system in Vilnius, Vaidas Augustinavicius, chief economic and social policy adviser to President Gitanas Nauseda, said, BNS reports. Speaking in an interview with Ziniu Radijas, Augustinavicius argued that the project should be reassessed given the new geopolitical context. He suggested that the underground metro…
Latvia: airBaltic to sack 300 pilots, flight attendants
Latvia’s national airline, airBaltic, plans to make around 100 pilots and 200 cabin crew members redundant, LSM reports. The company said that the staff cuts were based on the airline’s planned flight volume and route network for 2027. The airline will downsize its fleet to 36 aircraft by the end of 2026, but plans to…
Estonia: Parliament lowers voting age in European elections
The Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, has lowered the voting age and minimum age for candidates in elections to the European Parliament as of 2029, ERR reports. The amendments will lower the voting age from the current 18 to 16 years and the minimum age for candidates from 21 to 18 years. MPs from the Estonian Reform…
Baltic: Officials criticise Finnish-Norwegian call with Putin
Baltic officials were mostly critical of Finnish President Alexander Stubb’s and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre’s phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna insisted that “every contact with Russia must convey Europe’s unity and determination to support Ukraine and maintain pressure on Russia,” ERR reported. He called for increased…
Lithuania: President plugs lower level ties with China
Restoring Lithuania’s full diplomatic relations with communist China should not depend on the name of the Taiwanese Representative Office in Vilnius, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda stated, BNS reports. Speaking in an interview with Ziniu Radijas, Nauseda suggested restoring diplomatic representation on a lower level first, such as deputy heads of mission rather than ambassadors. He…
Latvia: More restrictions on travel to Russia, Belarus
The Latvian government has extended a ban on chartered bus tours to Russia and Belarus for one year until 31 October 2027, LSM reports. The ban applies to all bus operators, regardless of the country of registration of the vehicle. The government pointed to the need to ensure the safety of residents and the risk…
Estonia: Consumer confidence down sharply in October 2026
Consumer confidence in Estonia declined sharply while overall business confidence improved in October 2026, according to Statistics Estonia, ERR reports. The consumer confidence index stood at -32.4 percentage points, which was down from -23.5 points in September 2026. The confidence of Estonian consumers in their own financial situation and the country’s general economic situation decreased…
Lithuania: Fitch affirms A+ rating with stable outlook
The international credit rating agency, Fitch Ratings, has affirmed Lithuania’s long-term foreign-currency issuer default rating at A+ with a stable outlook, the Finance Ministry announced, BNS reports. The agency pointed to Lithuania’s credible policy framework, EU and eurozone membership, resilient economic growth, moderate government debt, and high institutional quality. Risks were related to the current…
Latvia: Latvians, Russians disagree on EU, NATO, Ukraine
Latvia’s Russian-speakers have a markedly more negative attitude towards the EU and NATO than ethnic Latvians, according to a survey conducted by the Riga-based association, Russian Voice for Latvia, LSM reports. The survey showed that, on a scale of 1 to 10, Latvians rated their attitude towards the EU at 8.4 points, while the average…