Latvia’s industrial production output increased by 9.2% in the first quarter of 2026, compared to the same period of 2025, according to the Central Statistical Bureau’s (CSP) calendar-adjusted data at constant prices, LSM reported. Output rose by 1.0% in manufacturing and by 40.6% in electricity and gas supply, but fell by 30.7% in mining and…
Estonia’s industrial production declined by 3.1% at constant prices in March 2026 compared to the same period of 2025, according to Statistics Estonia, ERR reports. Output increased by 5.9% in mining, but decreased by 19.5% in energy production and by 1.2% in manufacturing. In the manufacturing sector, output in wood processing rose by 5%, fabricated…
The prison population per capita in the Baltic States is the highest in Latvia, according to Eurostat data, LSM reports. Latvia had 187 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2024, which was up 8% from 173 in 2023. The figure was the third-highest in the entire EU. Lithuania’s prison population stood at 155 (159) and Estonia’s…
Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia will visit Lithuania on 18 May 2026, the Swedish royal court announced, BNS reports. The royal couple will meet with President Gitanas Nauseda and representatives of local organisations supporting Ukraine. Also, Queen Silvia will inaugurate a new nursing hospital in Vilnius. The last time that the Swedish…
The Latvian government will have to decide on additional capital needed for the country’s national air carrier, airBaltic, in 2026, Finance Minister Arvils Aseradens stated, LETA reports. He stressed that the airline’s future operations required capital investment. However, the government would have to seek additional sources of funding for such an investment, the minister explained….
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal suggested that former president Kersti Kaljulaid could be nominated as a candidate in presidential elections due in September 2026, ERR reports. Michal noted that incumbent president Alar Karis did not seem to have sufficient support in the parliament, the Riigikogu, to be reelected for a second term. Earlier, Lauri Läänemets,…
The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has stripped former prime minister Gintautas Paluckas of his parliamentary immunity, BNS reports. The decision allows prosecutors to investigate Paluckas for alleged illicit enrichment and abuse of office. Paluckas and his wife, Ilma Palucke, are suspected of having acquired cars, real estate, and securities worth nearly EUR 344,600 with income…
Several unmanned aerial vehicles entered Latvian airspace from Russia, and two of them crashed in eastern Latvia, in the early morning hours of 7 May 2026, according to the Latvian National Armed Forces (NBS), LETA reported. One of the drones crashed at East-West Transit’s oil storage facility in Rezekne, LETA reported. No significant damage and…
Estonia’s national-conservative opposition party, Fatherland (Isamaa), remained the country’s most popular party in April 2026, according to Norstat’s poll for the Institute for Societal Research (YI), ERR reports. Fatherland’s support stands at 26.4%, followed by the opposition Estonian Centre Party (Keskerakond) with 22.4%, the populist opposition Conservative People’s Party of Estonia (EKRE) with 14.1%, and…