The city council of Estonia’s mostly Russian-speaking northeastern border town of Narva has elected the Estonian Centre Party’s Jaan Toots as the city’s new mayor, ERR reports. Toots replaced Katri Raik, who was ousted in a no-confidence vote after one city councillor defected from Raik’s Respect alliance to the Centre Party’s coalition partner, Plan B,…
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys criticised concessions to Russia in the EU’s latest sanctions package, BNS reported. He lamented that EU sanctions policy decisions were “increasingly driven by the economic interests of member states,” limiting the EU’s ability to increase pressure on Russia and weakening the impact of sanctions overall. Earlier, Lithuania’s EU ambassador, Nerijus…
Latvia’s National Alliance has proposed merging three ministries into a new Ministry of National Economy, LETA reports. Under the proposal, the new ministry would take over the functions of the current Ministry of Economics, Ministry of Climate and Energy, and Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development. Energy Minister Janis Vitenbergs of the National Alliance…
The EU should ban the entry of over a million Russians for their involvement in the war of aggression against Ukraine, Estonia’s Interior Minister, Igor Taro, stated, BNS reports. Estonia has thus far added thousands of names to the list of individuals barred from entering the Schengen Area. Speaking in an interview with Kuku Raadio,…
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics has turned to the State Security Service (VDD) over Hungarian banking group OTP Bank’s plan to acquire the Baltic banking group, Luminor Bank, LSM reports. He noted that the statement of intent on the possible acquisition was just the start of the process, adding that regulatory approval for the deal would…
A group of 30 public figures in Estonia have nominated Indrek Laul, CEO of Estonia Piano Factory, for president, ERR reports. The group behind Laul’s candidacy, which includes prominent entrepreneurs, academics, and cultural figures, stressed the need to bring together “knowledge, culture, and entrepreneurship.” Laul said that he would seek to unite “different worldviews, different…
Lithuania’s Court of Appeal has found MP Remigijus Zemaitaitis, leader of the far-right populist party, Dawn of Nemunas (PPNA), guilty of antisemitism, BNS reports. The court found that Zemaitaitis had incited hatred against Jews and grossly trivialised the Holocaust, systematically distorting historical facts and making “dehumanising comparisons.” The court ordered the MP to pay a…
The Latvian government is holding talks with 23 potential investors on the acquisition of Swedish telecommunications group Telia’s shares in the Latvian telecommunication companies, Tet and Latvijas Mobilais Telefons (LMT), Economy Minister Viktors Valainis announced, LETA reported. He said that there was strong international interest in the deal and that the transaction was progressing largely…
The US will deploy a new rotational unit of troops in Estonia in summer 2026, Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur announced, ERR reported. The unit will stay until the end of 2026, ERR reports. Also, Pevkur said that the US would resume deliveries of ammunition to Estonia “in the coming months,” ERR reported. Pevkur said…
