Estonia’s new permanent representative to the EU is Kyllike Sillaste-Elling, ERR reports. Prior to her appointment, Sillaste-Elling served as deputy secretary general for political affairs at the Estonian Foreign Ministry. In 2017-2021, she was Estonia’s ambassador to NATO.
Police in Estonia have confiscated a copy of a controversial monument in Lihula commemorating Estonians who fought against the Soviet Union in World War II, ERR reports. The new monument was erected for an event to mark the 20th anniversary of the removal of the original monument in 2004. Police removed the new monument for…
Schools in Estonia have begun transitioning to education in Estonian under a plan approved by the country’s parliament, the Riigikogu, in December 2022, ERR reports. The transition will proceed gradually, with kindergartens and school grades one and four transitioning to fully Estonian education in 2024. Grades two and five will transition in 2025 and grade…
Estonia’s Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) has granted student visas to 646 foreigners for the academic year 2024/2025, ERR reports. Of the total, 65 are from China, 53 from the US, and 51 from Azerbaijan. PPA refused visas to 114 foreign students, including 28 from Nigeria, 22 from Pakistan, and 10 from India. The…
Estonia’s privately-owned gas supplier, Eesti Gaas, will raise the price of natural gas for household consumers as of 1 October 2024 due to fluctuations in European gas market prices, ERR reports. The new tariff will be EUR 0.59 per m3, including VAT. In August 2024, Eesti Gaas cut the gas price to EUR 0.525 per…
The average gross monthly wage in Estonia amounted to EUR 2,007 in the second quarter of 2024, which was up 7.2% from the same period of 2023, according to Statistics Estonia, The Baltic Guide reports. Wage growth has slowed down over the last four quarters. The average wage was highest in Tallinn (EUR 2,339), Harjumaa…
Political leaders of Baltic Sea countries criticised the US strategy on the war in Ukraine at the GLOBSEC 2024 Forum in Prague, The Baltic Sentinel reported. Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur stressed the need for strategic clarity: “We want Ukraine to win, not just to fight,” he stated. Speaking to the Kyiv Independent, Latvian Defence…
Air quality in the capital cities of the three Baltic States is best in Estonia’s Tallinn and worst in Latvia’s Riga, according to a new study by the European Environment Agency (EEA), LSM reports. Tallinn ranked 9th out of altogether 372 cities in Europe with “good” air quality that is better than the World Health…
Estonia’s liberal Estonia 200 (E200) party, junior partner in the country’s current coalition government, has elected Education Minister Kristina Kallas as its new chairperson, replacing Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, ERR reports. Kallas stressed the importance of values as a “key component” in politics. E200 will now start preparing for upcoming local elections and will strive…
