Baltic: Corruption clearly lowest in Estonia in 2025: report
Corruption remained considerably lower in Estonia than in Latvia and Lithuania in 2025, according to Transparency…
Read Less, Know More
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: Corruption clearly lowest in Estonia in 2025: report
Corruption remained considerably lower in Estonia than in Latvia and Lithuania in 2025, according to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, ERR reports. Estonia ranked 12th on the index, which was up from 13th place in 2024, BNS reported. Meanwhile, Lithuania came in on 28th (32nd) and Latvia on 37th (38th) place, LSM reported. Estonia scored 76…
Lithuania: Opposition party backs chair amid corruption probe
Lithuania’s opposition Union of Democrats for Lithuania (DSVL) retains its trust in the party chairman, Saulius Skvernelis, DSVL’s deputy chairman, MEP Virginijus Sinkevicius, stated, ELTA reports. Earlier, Lithuania’s Special Investigation Service (STT) searched the homes and offices of Skvernelis and another opposition MP, Kazys Starkevicius, as part of an investigation into large-scale corruption at the…
Latvia: Construction output up 9% in 2025: statistics
Latvia’s construction output rose by 9% over a year in 2025, according to the Central Statistical Bureau’s (CSP) calendar-adjusted data at constant prices, LSM reports. Construction of buildings increased by 1.2%, civil engineering structures by 25.7%, and specialised construction activities by 2.9%. In the fourth quarter of 2025, construction output increased by 9.9% from a…
Estonia: Foreign Minister berates President on Ukraine remarks
Recent remarks by Estonian President Alar Karis have led to questions from foreign partners about Estonia’s position on the war in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said, ERR reports. Following his visit to Kyiv, Tsahkna said that the President’s suggestions of possible EU talks with Russia, lifting sanctions, and for Ukraine to cede territory had…
Lithuania: Two opposition MPs implicated in corruption case
Lithuania’s Special Investigation Service (STT) has searched the offices and homes of two prominent opposition MPs, Saulius Skvernelis and Kazys Starkevicius, as part of a corruption probe, BNS reports. STT suspects transport companies of paying bribes totalling around EUR 1.5mn to officials at the State Plant Service (VATZUM) in exchange for phytosanitary certificates. The agency’s…
Latvia: Pro-Russian opposition party may be dissolved
Latvia’s pro-Russian opposition party, For Stability, may be dissolved, LETA reports. Earlier, the Latvian Prosecution Office (LRP) ordered For Stability to remove social media content that violated regulations on political parties. The law prohibits political parties from acting against the independence or territorial integrity of Latvia or other democratic states, advocating for the violent overthrow…
Estonia: President doubles down on controversial comments on Ukraine
Estonian President Alar Karis assured that Estonia’s foreign policy remained united despite criticism of his comments on the war in Ukraine, ERR reports. Earlier, Karis expressed support for appointing a special EU envoy for peace talks with Russia and suggested that Ukraine cede territory to end the war. Speaking on the sidelines of the opening…
Baltic: Baltic Sea level nearly lowest on record
The water level in the Baltic Sea has fallen to one of the lowest levels in recorded history, ELTA reports. On the Latvian coast, the sea level has dropped to around 65 cm below zero level, according to the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (LVGMC). In Liepaja and Ventspils, the sea level is close…
Lithuania: China signals readiness for dialogue
China remains open to dialogue with Lithuania, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian stated, Reuters reported. China hopes that Lithuania will “translate its willingness to improve bilateral relations into concrete action and promptly rectify its error,” he said. Earlier, Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene stated that the previous government had made a “major mistake” in…