Lithuania’s opposition Union of Democrats for Lithuania (DSVL) will withdraw from a national defence agreement signed by all parliamentary parties in July 2022, BNS reports. Under the deal, the parties pledged to keep defence spending above 2.5% of GDP and increase the number of military conscripts. DSVL announced its exit from the pact after the…
Latvia’s Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP) has informed 3,541 Russian citizens that their Latvian residence permits expired on 2 September 2023, LSM reports. The persons have failed to submit applications to obtain long-term EU residence permits or retake language exams as required. The Russian nationals will therefore have to leave Latvia by 30…
The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, has elected MP Daiga Mierina of the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) as its new speaker, LSM reports. She replaces United List’s Edvards Smiltens. Mierina was only elected at the fourth ballot after the two front-runners for the post, Gunars Kutris of ZZS and United List’s Maris Sprindzuks, were…
The presidents of the Baltic States and Poland met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York to discuss the transport of Ukrainian grain through EU ports, ERR reports. Estonian President Alar Karis noted that shipping Ukrainian grain via Baltic ports required cooperation with Poland. Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, speaker of the Lithuanian parliament,…
Estonia’s central bank, the Bank of Estonia, opposes the government’s plan to replace Estonia’s self-imposed budgetary discipline rules with the EU’s less stringent budget rules, ERR reports. Ülo Kaasik, vice-president of the Bank of Estonia, insisted that changing the rules simply because of an inability to meet them was never a good idea. He warned…
Lithuania’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Jovita Neliupsiene, has met with the Vatican’s envoy to Lithuania, Petar Rajic, to discuss recent remarks by Pope Francis about Russia, BNS reports. Neither side provided details about the meeting, however. Earlier, the pontiff addressed young Catholics in Saint Petersburg, saying that they were “children of great Russia” and “of a…
The Estonian government has agreed on the state budget for 2024, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas announced, ERR reports. Under the agreement, the government will introduce no new taxes in addition to ones implemented earlier. The government will not impose a new tax on commercial banks, which will instead pay more taxable dividends. Also, the government…
Around 40 people have left the Estonian Centre Party (Keskerakond) after the election of Tallinn mayor Mihhail Kõlvart as the party’s new chairman, ERR reports. The number of resignations may increase later. The Centre Party has over 13,000 registered members. The high-profile people who have left the party include former Tartu mayor and minister Jaan…
Lithuania’s ruling coalition parties have collected signatures for the impeachment of unaffiliated MP Remigijus Zemaitaitis for his repeated antisemitic statements, BNS reports. The motion to impeach was signed by 36 MPs. Earlier, Zemaitaitis blamed Jews for the deportations and killings of Lithuanians during the Second World War. Also, he expressed anger at Prime Minister Ingrida…