Half of Latvia’s population think that adopting the euro in 2014 was a good idea, according to a Norstat poll for LSM. The survey showed that 51% of Latvian residents believe that switching to the EU’s official currency was a good decision. Younger individuals were more likely to support the euro, while the more elderly…
Estonia’s population totalled 1,373,101 people in the beginning of 2024, according to Statistics Estonia’s preliminary data, ERR reported. The country’s population thus increased by 4,184 people in 2023, including by 6,239 people in Harjumaa county and 2,025 people in Tartumaa county. The population decreased by 1,413 people in Ida-Virumaa county. Statistics Estonia will release more…
In his New Year address, Lauri Hussar, speaker of the Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, outlined key challenges for Estonia in 2024, ERR reports. He emphasised the importance of transitioning to Estonian as the sole language of tuition in schools, viewing it as vital to preserving the country’s language and culture. Hussar urged unity in recognising…
Lithuania’s excess mortality, which surged during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, has now returned to pre-pandemic levels, according to experts, LRT reports. In the first eleven months of 2023, nearly 32,000 people died, which was down from almost 39,000 in the same period a year earlier, 43,000 in 2021, and 37,000 in 2020. Despite…
Same-sex marriage is now legal under Estonian law as of 1 January 2024, ERR reports. The law allows two consenting adults to marry irrespective of their gender. Minister of Social Protection Signe Riisalo said that the law ensured equal rights, ending years of legal uncertainty. Same-sex couples, previously able to register civil partnerships, now enjoy…
In their New Year’s greetings, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and First Lady Diana Nausediene sought to convey a sense of optimism as they approached the new year, LRT reported. They noted the upcoming 20th anniversary of Lithuania’s NATO and EU membership, thanking everyone for their collective achievements. The presidential couple expressed their belief in the…
In his New Year’s message, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics reflected on the anticipation of the “moment before” the new year, filled with aspirations for change and new goals, LSM reported. Acknowledging that past resolutions may not have been fully realised, the President encouraged carrying over hopes into the new year, turning them into concrete goals…
In his New Year’s address, Estonian President Alar Karis emphasised the country’s goals of preserving the Estonian language and culture while striving to be a good and secure place to live, ERR reports. Despite the challenges in 2023, he urged citizens to find positivity, acknowledging personal and national achievements. Karis addressed political concerns and stressed…
The Latvian government has approved a draft law on ratifying the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention on violence against women and domestic violence, LSM reports. An accompanying declaration states that Latvia will apply the convention in line with the Constitution, “in particular with regard to the protection of human rights, equality between women and men,…