Estonia’s opposition Fatherland (Isamaa) party and Estonian Centre Party (Keskerakond) have decided to end their filibustering in the parliament, the Riigikogu, for now, ERR reports. The two parties withdrew their numerous submitted amendments, saying that they were against obstructing parliamentary work. The opposition’s filibustering practically halted the Riigikogu’s spring and autumn sessions in 2023. In…
US investment company Blackstone plans to sell Baltic-based Luminor Bank, according to Bloomberg, LETA reports. Blackstone expects to sell the bank for around EUR 1.9bn and to conclude the deal in 2024. Peter Priisalm, head of Avaron Investments, suggested that one potential buyer could be Polish insurance group PZU, while Valeria Kiisk, partner at Redgate…
Teachers in Estonia began a nationwide strike on 22 January 2024 to press for higher pay, ERR reports. The Estonian Education Personnel Union (EHL) said that altogether 9,471 teachers at 330 general education schools were taking part in the strike. The number of strikers will almost double to 18,176 when kindergarten and vocational school teachers…
Estonia’s debt to GDP ratio rose in the third quarter of 2023 but was still the lowest in the EU, according to Eurostat data, ERR reports. Estonia’s general government gross debt totalled EUR 6.789bn, which was up from EUR 5.585bn in the third quarter of 2022. The country’s debt to GDP ratio stood at 18.2%,…
The Estonian government plans to invest EUR 680.5mn in road maintenance in 2024-2027, which is EUR 76mn more than in the previous four-year period, the Ministry of Climate announced, BNS reports. State budget funds will account for EUR 543.8mn and funding from the EU’s Cohesion Fund and Connecting Europe Facility for EUR 136.7mn of the…
The Estonian government has approved draft legislation to introduce an annual car tax and a vehicle registration fee, ERR reports. Under the plan, the new law will enter into force as of 2025. The amount of the car tax and the registration fee will depend on the vehicle’s emissions and age as well as weight…
The Estonian government has decided to terminate the country’s legal assistance agreement with Russia, ERR reports. The agreement mostly applies to cases under family and commercial law. The decision will lower judicial cooperation with Russia to the same level as with other third countries. Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna noted that the legal assistance treaty was…
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas may succeed Josep Borrell as the EU’s next foreign policy chief, Politico reports. Kallas leads the Estonian Reform Party, which is part of the liberal Renew Europe group in the European Parliament. However, she could face some resistance due to her tough stance on Russia, Politico suggested. Earlier, Kallas argued…
The Presidium of the Baltic Assembly has demanded “immediate efforts in Europe” to ensure total victory for Ukraine in the war against Russia, LSM reported. In their statement, the Baltic parliamentarians insisted that support for Ukraine must be “continuous, sufficient, timely, and far-sighted.” They warned other European parliaments not to underestimate the long-term impact on…