Estonian President Alar Karis has appointed into office a new coalition government headed by Kristen Michal of the Estonian Reform Party, ERR reports. Earlier, the government was overwhelmingly approved by the Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu. The coalition consists of the same three parties as the previous government of Kaja Kallas: Reform, the Social Democratic Party…
US presence in Europe and the Baltic region is the best deterrent against Russia, contributing to stability in the whole region, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda stated, BNS reports. Speaking at the European Political Community summit in the UK, Nauseda said that if former US president Donald Trump won the US presidential elections in November 2024,…
Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina urged European countries to “resist Russian evil,” saying that this would help increase security and prosperity in the continent, LSM reports. Speaking at the European Political Community (EPC) summit in the UK, Silina called on Europe to provide more military, financial, and political support to Ukraine. She said that European…
Estonia’s three-party coalition of the Estonian Reform Party, Social Democratic Party (SDE), and Estonia 200 has published its new coalition agreement, ERR reports. Under the agreement, the coalition pledges to cut the budget deficit to 3% of GDP in 2025 and 2026, and to reduce it further in 2027. The new government will raise most…
The share of children at risk of poverty in the Baltic States was lower than the EU average in 2023, according to Eurostat data, LSM reports. The statistics showed that as many as 21.7% of children under the age of 18 years in Lithuania were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2023, compared…
Taiwan’s largest commercial bank, state-owned Bank of Taiwan, plans to open a representative office in Lithuania, BNS reports, citing business news website Verslo Zinios. The Financial Supervisory Commission of Taiwan has approved the bank’s application to open an office in Lithuania. The Bank of Taiwan said that the office would help expand business operations in…
Latvia’s Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP) will inform altogether 4,650 Russian citizens on steps they need to take to be able to stay in Latvia after changes to the country’s law on immigration, LETA reports. Russian nationals with permanent residence permits must apply for the status of a permanent EU resident and pass…
The Estonian Reform Party will appoint MP Jürgen Ligi as the new finance minister in the incoming three-party coalition government, outgoing Finance Minister Mart Võrklaev announced, ERR reports. Ligi served as defence minister in 2005-2007 and finance minister in 2009-2014. He has also served as foreign minister and education minister. Moreover, Võrklaev said that Reform…
Annual inflation in the Baltic States was highest in Estonia in June 2024, according to Eurostat data, BNS reports. Estonia’s harmonised annual inflation rate stood at 2.8% in June 2024, compared to 1.5% in Latvia and 1.0% in Lithuania. Compared to May 2024, prices rose by 0.5% in Estonia but remained unchanged in Latvia and…
