Over half of Latvian municipalities have new mayors following local elections on 7 June 2025, LETA reports. Municipal councils elected altogether 22 new chairpersons, while 20 incumbent mayors remained in office. Political groups that received the most votes failed to secure the mayorship in 12 municipalities, including in Riga, Jelgava, and Ventspils. In some municipalities,…
The Estonian Reform Party’s candidate for mayor of Tallinn, businessman Urmas Sõõrumaa, wants to form a technocratic city government with no executive politicians, like in Helsinki, ERR reports. At the same time, he said that the new city government would follow guidelines from Reform and the Estonian Centre Party. He insisted that the city had…
Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas has refused to subject himself to a vote of confidence in the parliament, the Seimas, BNS reports. Opposition MPs have demanded that the Prime Minister resign due to questions about his past business activities. Speaking after a “frank and sincere conversation” with President Gitanas Nauseda, Paluckas insisted that he continued…
Latvian ministries have submitted 250 proposals for spending cuts, Finance Minister Arvils Aseradens announced, LSM reports. Ministries have suggested cuts in remuneration, subsidies, goods and services, and other expenditure. The proposals would reduce public sector spending by EUR 150mn in 2026, the Finance Ministry estimated. The ministry targets cumulative spending cuts of up to EUR…
Estonia will have to borrow more to raise defence spending above 5% of GDP, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stated, ERR reports. Speaking in an interview with Vikerraadio, Tsahkna said that Estonia would try to obtain as much financing as possible under the EU’s SAFE instrument. The Finance Ministry is now analysing how much SAFE funding…
Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, will hold a ceremony on 3 April 2025 to honour four US soldiers who died during a military exercise at the Pabrade training area in eastern Lithuania, BNS reports. The ceremonial cortege will proceed through the city centre and will be met by Archbishop Gintaras Grusas, President Gitanas Nauseda, Defence Minister Dovile…
Latvia’s relations with the US are deep and positive, Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze assured, LETA reports. Speaking in an interview with LTV, Braze noted said that US President Donald Trump’s administration appreciated Latvia for being a good ally and for not engaging in public “loud rhetoric.” Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met…
Estonia’s annual inflation may reach 6% or higher in 2025, driven by the rise in energy and food prices, local analysts forecast, ERR reports. Triinu Tapver, analyst at LHV Pank, said that inflation could amount to as much as 6.2-6.5% in 2025, which would be up sharply from the bank’s earlier estimate of 4.5% at…
The Lithuanian fertiliser producer, Achema, may begin producing explosives, Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas announced, BNS reports. He was speaking after a meeting with representatives of Achema’s management. Earlier, Vidmantas Janulevicius, president of the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists (LPK), suggested converting some of the country’s large chemical plants to the production of explosives. Achema announced…