US technology company Meta has barred users of its Facebook social media platform from sharing an article on Estonian Internal Security Service (KAPO) officers allegedly attending an event under false names to gather information on members of the Sakala fraternity at the University of Tartu, ERR reports. KAPO and the Estonian government’s communications office categorically denied taking…
The Baltic States will present a capability development plan at the upcoming NATO summit in Washington, BNS reports. Estonian President Alar Karis emphasised the need for increased defence spending, suggesting a minimum target of 2.5-3% of GDP. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda pointed out that Lithuania’s defence spending has already reached 3% of GDP in 2024….
A new law in Estonia will allow ships sailing under the Estonian flag to employ private armed security guards in high-risk zones, enhancing protection against piracy and armed robbery, ERR reports. The move aims to boost the international appeal of the Estonian flag by enabling shipowners to contract security services more flexibly. Security personnel can…
Estonia’s ruling Estonian Reform Party, Social Democratic Party (SDE), and Estonia 200 (E200) have started negotiations on forming a new coalition, ERR reports. The three parties hope to reach an agreement by the end of July 2024. The parties form outgoing Prime Minister Kaja Kallas’s coalition government. The new coalition would be led by Reform’s…
Lithuania has the biggest installed capacity of wind energy in the Baltic States, according to Toms Naburgs, managing director of the Latvian Wind Energy Association (LVEA), LSM reports. Lithuania has 1,400 MW of installed wind turbines, compared to 400 MW in Estonia and just 140 MW in Latvia. Moreover, Lithuania is building and planning even…
Slowing inflation and strong wage growth in Estonia have increased people’s purchasing power, according to the Bank of Estonia, BNS reports. In June 2024, the consumer price index rose by only 2.5% on year, which was the slowest rate in three years, primarily due to falling energy prices. At the same time, most services have…
NATO must be ready for Russia turning even more hostile in the decade to come, Estonian President Alar Karis warned, ERR reports. Speaking after a meeting with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in Vilnius, Karis said that Russia would remain NATO’s most serious military threat for a very long time. He called on NATO allies to…
The Estonian government will tighten controls on the transit of goods subject to EU sanctions, Ukrainska Pravda reports. Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that attempts to evade sanctions continued to occur on the border with Russia. She noted that the EU’s latest sanctions package exacerbated the threats. The government will therefore replace the present risk-based…
The youth wing of the Conservative People’s Party of Estonia (EKRE), Blue Awakening, will quit the far-right opposition party, ERR reports. The organisation decided to begin talks on joining the new right-wing party, Estonian Nationalists and Conservatives (ERK), which was formed mostly by former EKRE politicians. Eino Rantanen, the newly-elected chairman of Blue Awakening, said…