Estonia’s Justice Minister Liisa Pakosta demanded that the European Commission add the Telegram messaging service to the EU’s list of very large online platforms (VLOP), ERR reports. She said that an independent count showed that the platform clearly had more users than the threshold to be deemed a VLOP. The listing would force Telegram to…
The new National Security Strategy (NSS) of the United States shows that the US understands the security sensitivities of the Baltic region, Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene stated, BNS reported. Speaking after a joint meeting with her Estonian and Latvian counterparts in Riga, Ruginiene said that the US had assured that it would not withdraw…
The ruling Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP) has commissioned a Norstat poll to gauge voter opinion on its coalition with far-right Dawn of Nemunas (PPNA), LRT reports. The survey showed that 56% of voters had a negative opinion of LSDP’s decision to invite PPNA into government. Also, 53% thought that the current coalition should…
Estonia’s national-conservative opposition party, Fatherland (Isamaa), continued as the country’s most popular political party in December 2025, according to Kantar Emor’s latest poll, ERR reports. Support for Fatherland stood at 24%, which was down from 26% in January 2025. Left-of-centre opposition Estonian Centre Party (Keskerakond) came second with 21% (13%), followed by opposition Social Democratic…
The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has approved in first reading amendments to make it easier to dismiss the director general of the country’s public broadcaster, Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), BNS reports. Altogether 76 MPs voted for, 50 against, and none abstained. Almost all MPs from the ruling three-party coalition backed the bill. The…
Latvia’s Riga city council plans to sell the municipal housing company, Rigas Namu Parvaldnieks (RNP), LETA reports. Under the proposal, RNP would be reorganised and converted into a joint-stock company before the sale through a public securities offering. The plan is first to sell 51% of RNP’s shares. Individual investors would be a able to…
The Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, has rejected the opposition Estonian Centre Party’s (Keskerakond) proposal to lower the VAT on basic food products to 9%, ERR reports. No MPs voted against the proposal, but 42 MPs, mostly from the ruling coalition, abstained. Under the proposal, the VAT on specific categories of food, including vegetables and dairy,…
The Baltic States and Poland can become a bridge to reinforce relations with the United States, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics said, LETA reports. Speaking at a joint press conference with visiting Polish President Karol Nawrocki in Riga, Rinkevics called on countries in the region to ensure that transatlantic ties are strengthened rather than weakened. He…
Estonia has only one foreign policy, Prime Minister Kristen Michal and Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna assured, ERR reports. Earlier, questions arose after President Alar Karis softened his remarks on the war in Ukraine during his state visit to Kazakhstan. Tsahkna stressed that Estonia’s foreign policy was centered on “standing against Russian aggression, supporting Ukraine, and…