Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina sharply criticised Defence Minister Andris Spruds after drones from Russia crashed in Latvian territory, LETA reported. Silina pointed to the lack of timely warning to local residents about the incoming drones. The government’s EUR 2bn defence budget means that people will expect accountability from the minister, she stated. Silina said…
The Estonian government has issued EUR 1bn worth of bonds to cover the state budget deficit and to provide more liquidity, ERR reports. The bonds mature in May 2036 and carry a yield to maturity of 3.609%. More than 100 investors, mostly banks, pension funds, and European investment funds, subscribed to over EUR 2.2bn in…
The Council of Europe’s advisory body on constitutional law, the Venice Commission, urged the Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, to improve draft amendments to the law governing the country’s public broadcaster, Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), BNS reports. The commission said that the draft law may violate the European Convention on Human Rights and the…
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….
Estonia’s Minister of Finance, Jürgen Ligi, has rejected a proposal to lower the excise duty on diesel fuel temporarily, ERR reports. Ligi argued that broad-based tax cuts would have a very large and lasting negative impact on the state budget, and that targeted measures to support vulnerable households and sectors would be more sensible. In…
Estonia’s new motor vehicle tax and registration fee, which were introduced as of 1 January 2025, generated total revenue of EUR 151mn in 2025, ERR reports. Registration fee revenue totalled EUR 64.2mn in 2025, which was more than 50% less than the projected EUR 137mn. Meanwhile, revenue from the motor vehicle tax was close to…
Estonia’s real GDP will grow by 2.3% in 2026 and by 2.5% in 2027, according to the Ministry of Finance’s latest economic forecast, ERR reports. In subsequent years, the ministry expects the country’s GDP growth to slow down slightly. Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi noted that security and uncertainty were the prevailing factors at the moment….
Lithuania’s Central Electoral Commission (VRK) has allocated EUR 2.5mn of state funding to ten political parties, BNS reports. The ruling Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP) received EUR 662,700 and the main opposition party, Homeland Union, EUR 612,000. VRK suspended funding for the far-right coalition party, Dawn of Nemunas (PPNA), due to serious violations of…
The Latvian government has proposed granting a short-term loan of EUR 30mn to the national air carrier, airBaltic, due to the rapid rise in fuel prices, LSM reports. Speaking in an interview with LTV, Prime Minister Evika Silina admitted that the company may need more state support later, however. Earlier, airBaltic estimated that it would…