The last leader of the Communist Party of Estonia (EKP), Vaino Väljas, has died at the age of 92, ERR reports. President Alar Karis offered his condolences, noting the important role that Väljas played during Estonia’s Singing Revolution in the late 1980s, leading to the restoration of independence in 1991. Väljas was born on Hiiumaa…
The Baltic States continue to have the highest loan interest rates in the eurozone, according to data from the European Central Bank (ECB), ERR reports. The average interest rate in the three Baltic countries was 5.9% at the end of November 2023. The eurozone average stood at 4.1%. Meanwhile, the average interest on consumer loans…
Satisfaction with life in the Baltic States was lowest in Latvia in 2022, according to Eurostat data, LSM reported. Residents in Latvia rated their overall life satisfaction at just 6.8 out of 10 points in 2022, which was up from 6.7 in 2021. The indicator stood at 7.1 (7.0) points in Lithuania and 7.2 (7.2)…
Lithuania’s Prosecutor General, Nida Grunskiene, has asked the parliament, the Seimas, to remove legal immunity from MP Remigijus Zemaitaitis, BNS reports. The move will allow Zemaitaitis to be prosecuted for inciting hatred against a group of people. The opposition MP posted antisemitic texts on social media, claiming that Jews deported and killed Lithuanians during WW2….
Estonia’s Ministry of Climate has confirmed the felling quota for the state forest management centre, Riigimetsa Majandamise Keskus (RMK), in 2024, ERR reports. Under the decision, the felling quota will remain unchanged at 9,180 hectares. The quota only relates to RMK’s forest land, which represents around 1% of Estonia’s total forest area. A little less…
Food prices in Latvia will grow by less than 4% in 2024, Ieva Opmane, economist at the Bank of Latvia, forecast, LSM reports. The price hike will be higher than average inflation but much less than in 2023 and 2022, she said. The rise in food prices will depend on consumer income, energy prices, harvests,…
Europe has three to five years to prepare for Russia to pose a serious threat to NATO’s eastern flank, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas estimated, ERR reports. Speaking in an interview with The Times, Kallas said that the time frame depended on NATO unity and continued support for Ukraine. She conceded that there were signs…
Lithuania’s Justice Minister, Ewelina Dobrowolska, warned against “populism” over the issue of Russian schools, BNS reported. Earlier, Education Minister Gintautas Jakstas suggested that Lithuania follow Estonia and Latvia in closing Russian schools. Speaking in an interview with Ziniu Radijas, Dobrowolska conceded that minority education faced challenges but insisted that they be dealt with by ensuring…
The Estonian Internal Security Service (KAPO) has arrested Vyacheslav Morozov, professor of international political theory at the University of Tartu, on suspicion of spying for Russia, ERR reports. Morozov, who is a Russian citizen, was remanded in custody for two months. The University of Tartu terminated his employment contract after the launch of the investigation….