Housing prices in the Baltic States rose the fastest in Lithuania in the first quarter of 2023, according to Eurostat data, BNS reports. Compared to a year earlier, housing prices rose by 13.1% in Lithuania, which was the second-highest increase in the EU. Housing prices in Estonia rose by 9.2% and in Latvia by 6%…
Finland’s NATO membership opens up new opportunities for defence and security cooperation between Estonia and Finland, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas stated, The Baltic Times reports. Speaking during Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s official visit to Estonia, Kallas said that Finland’s accession has bolstered NATO as a whole and the security of the Baltic Sea…
Data available on state financial support to Estonian companies are incomplete and thus less usable, according to an analysis by the National Audit Office (Riigikontroll), ERR reports. Märt Loite, auditor general at Riigikontroll’s analysis department, sent a note to Finance Minister Mart Võrklaev (Reform), highlighting concerns regarding the integrity and usability of the data. In…
The Estonian Reform Party has seen an increase in voter support, while support for its coalition partner, Estonia 200, continues to fall, according to the latest weekly Norstat poll published on 5 July 2023, ERR reports. The survey indicates that support for Reform currently stands at 27.4% of voters, followed by the Conservative People’s Party…
Swedish telecommunications technology company Ericsson plans to build a new manufacturing and technology facility in Estonia’s capital city of Tallinn, ERR reports. The company will invest EUR 155mn in the production centre in Tallinn’s Ülemiste City business park. Construction work is due to be completed by 2026. The facility will house testing laboratories, production lines,…
Estonia’s daily newspapers, Eesti Päevaleht and Postimees, strongly criticised in their editorials on 5 July 2023 the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority’s (TTJA) proposed legislation to monitor the truthfulness, impartiality, and balance of news programmes, ERR reports. Both editorials strongly rejected the notion of state intervention in media, emphasising the importance of media freedom…
The Estonian property developer, Estera Saue, plans to build a new residential area in Saue municipality, on the outskirts of Tallinn, ERR reports. The housing project will consist of over 1,000 apartments primarily targeted at young families. The project will include a mix of apartment buildings, terraced houses, private houses, and commercial premises. Amenities such…
The 13th Youth Song and Dance Festival (Laulupidu) in Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, attracted around 90,000 spectators who watched performances by 31,415 singers, dancers, and musicians, ERR reports. Around 120,000 reusable bowls and spoons were handed out to participants during the festival weekend, while 134,000 dishes and 44,000 utensils were issued to spectators. Around 350 police…
Estonia’s industrial production output declined by 12.7% at constant prices in May 2023, compared to the same period of 2022, according to data from Statistics Estonia, ERR reports. Output fell by 31.5% in electricity production and 13.1% in manufacturing. Meanwhile, output rose by 36.3% in mining and quarrying. Helle Bunder, leading analyst at Statistics Estonia,…