Lithuania’s Vilnius Regional Court has told the prosecutor to ask the European Parliament to strip MEP Petras Grazulis of his parliamentary immunity, BNS reports. Earlier, Grazulis was charged with expressing contempt for members of the LGBT community. The case was put on hold after he was elected MEP. In May 2022, after the Lithuanian parliament,…
Latvia’s electricity production totalled 6,388 GWh in 2023, which was 27.0% more than in 2022, according to data from the Central Statistical Bureau (CSP), LSM reports. Renewable energy sources accounted for 4,963 GWh of total electricity production, which was 1,146 GWh (30.0%) more than a year earlier. Hydro power plants generated 3,794 GWh of electricity (up…
The Latvian government will freeze public funding for political parties in 2025, Prime Minister Evika Silina announced, LSM reports. She said that coalition parties had approved the proposal to halt the indexation of state support for parties. The government’s austerity measures have required ministries to cut spending in the public sector. Altogether 12 political parties…
Lithuania should spend at least 3.5% of its GDP on defence each year, President Gitanas Nauseda stated, BNS reports. He said that military spending should be increased “year after year” to implement plans to modernise the Lithuanian Armed Forces (LGP) and host a full German brigade in the country. Meanwhile, Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, speaker of the Lithuanian…
Latvia will host an international “drone summit” in the beginning of 2025, Defence Minister Andris Spruds announced, LSM reports. He said that the summit would promote the creation of secure supply chains for drone components and the production of drone systems in NATO member states. The cooperation was aimed at ensuring targeted deliveries of unmanned…
Long-time Estonian MP, former prime minister Siim Kallas will step down from the parliament, the Riigikogu, ERR reports. Timo Suslov, secretary general of the Estonian Reform Party, said that Kallas, 75, was stepping down due to health reasons. His seat in the Riigikogu will now be taken up by Reform’s Jüri Jaanson. Kallas said that…
The Icelandic low-cost air carrier, Fly Play (PLAY), will increase the frequency of flights between Reykjavik and the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, to twice a week as of the middle of May 2025, Lithuania’s state-owned airport operator, Lietuvos Oro Uostai (LTOU), announced, BNS reports. Currently, the company flies the route once a week. CEO Einar Örn…
Latvia’s Riga International Airport (RIX) served a total of 4.6 million passengers in the first eight months of 2024, which was 8% more than in the same period of 2023, LSM reports. The number of flights to and from Riga totalled 41,500. In August 2024 alone, the airport served 740,000 passengers, which was up 8%…
Ukraine should have the right to strike Russian air bases to “eliminate the sources of attacks and save lives,” Estonia’s Defence Minister, Hanno Pevkur, stated, ERR reports. He pointed to Russia’s continued attacks on residential buildings and critical infrastructure. Ukraine knows where the strikes are coming from, Pevkur noted. He reiterated Estonia’s position that the…
