Lithuanian MEP Viktor Uspaskich has returned to the Labour Party as its interim chairman, BNS reports. Uspaskich was reinstated following the resignation of MP Valentinas Bukauskas and after the opposition party’s poor performance in recent presidential and European Parliament elections. The Labour Party’s council has formed a group to negotiate potential coalitions for the upcoming…
Latvia’s ruling coalition will soon need to discuss “painful decisions” on taxes, Prime Minister Evika Silina stated, LETA reports. Speaking in an interview with TV3, Silina said that simplifying taxation was an important priority. The Ministry of Finance has developed potential proposals for changes on real estate tax, labour costs, corporate income tax, VAT, small…
Estonia’s Ministry of Education and Research is seeking to amend legislation to better regulate the administrative language of municipalities and universities, ensuring that dealing with the entities does not require the use of a foreign language, ERR reports. The amendment would enforce existing requirements for municipalities to conduct administrative affairs in Estonian, addressing instances where…
Latvia’s State Audit Office (LRVK) has criticised the Ministry of Education and Science for ineffective policies in attracting and retaining teachers, LETA reports. A significant portion of new teachers leave within five years due to systemic issues, including constant changes, insufficient teaching materials, poor remuneration, and uncertainty about reforms. The audit notes that the ministry’s…
Estonia’s newly-formed opposition party, Estonian Nationalists and Conservatives (ERK), still needs 20 more members to be registered officially, ERR reports. A political party needs 500 members to be registered. ERK deputy chairman Silver Kuusik assured that the party would be registered in July 2024. ERK held its founding meeting on 29 June 2024, electing MP…
The planned synchronisation of the Baltic electricity grids with Western Europe in February 2025 will slightly increase electricity prices for consumers, according to Lithuanian Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys, BNS reports. The impact on prices will be minimal, around a few percent, he said. Lithuanian power grid operator Litgrid estimates that the synchronisation will cost consumers…
Authorities in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, have unveiled a comprehensive city defence plan, BNS reports. The city plans to procure defensive anti-mobility installations, create a public drone training track, increase bomb shelter capacity to cover the entire population, update evacuation plans, and deploy additional warning systems and emergency communication tools. Vilnius mayor Valdas Benkunskas emphasised…
Latvia’s Ministry of Economy and Ministry of Welfare have proposed reducing the amount that employers pay for sick leave, LSM reports. Under the proposal, the first day of sick leave would remain unpaid, while days 2-3 would be compensated at 60% of the salary and days 4-8 at 70%. From the 9th day onwards, the…
Electrifying the public transport system in Estonia’s Harjumaa county would require EUR 2bn in grid investments, Tallinn deputy mayor Kristjan Järvan stated, ERR reports. He said that the project would include major upgrades to both the distribution and transmission networks to support the increased use of electric vehicles. Electrifying Tallinn’s bus fleet alone would cost…