The number of job vacancies rose in Lithuania but dropped in Latvia and Estonia in 2023, BNS reported. The number of vacancies increased by 5.7% in Lithuania, but decreased by 6.1% in Latvia and 14% in Estonia. Out of the total number of jobs, both occupied and vacant, the share of vacancies stood at 2.7%…
Nearly half (45%) of Estonians have seen their financial situation worsen in the past year, according to a Norstat poll for SEB in December 2023, BNS reports. Consumers are therefore cutting back on expenses, including by taking advantage of discounts (62%), planning purchases more carefully (49%), and eating out less often (45%). Other cost-saving measures…
Estonia’s ruling coalition has abandoned a plan to change the current renewable energy fee, which would have raised EUR 60mn annually and shifted costs from consumers to the state, ERR reported. The senior party in the coalition government, the Estonian Reform Party, rejected the plan, citing concerns about the plan’s financial viability. The changes were…
The EstLink 2 undersea electricity cable connecting Estonia and Finland malfunctioned in late January 2024 due to an internal short circuit, transmission system operator Elering announced, ERR reports. The short circuit may have been caused by the cable’s steep angle where it transitions from land to sea. Experts believe the fault resulted from either geological…
The foreign ministers of Estonia and Ukraine, Margus Tsahkna and Dmytro Kuleba, called for using Russia’s frozen assets, valued at over USD 300bn, to help defend and rebuild Ukraine, ERR reported. Writing in a joint article published by the Estonian Foreign Ministry, the two ministers insisted that doing so would be both legal and just,…
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that the likely nomination of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as NATO’s new secretary general raised the question of whether the alliance has first-rank and second-rank members, Politico reported. She pointed out that Rutte would be the fourth NATO chief from the Netherlands. “Are we equals or are we…
Latvian Defence Minister Andris Spruds has welcomed the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission to Latvia in a ceremony at the Lielvarde Air Base of the Latvian National Armed Forces (NBS), LSM reports. Latvia will host the mission for the next nine months during major reconstruction at Estonia’s Ämari Air Base. The mission’s other base at…
Members of the Estonia-Taiwan Support Group of the Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, will visit Taiwan on 4-8 March 2024, ERR reports. The largest ever Estonian delegation to Taiwan, the MPs will meet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, parliamentary speaker Han Kuo-yu, Prime Minister Chen Chien-jen, and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, as well as representatives of…
Estonia’s President, Alar Karis, has declared elections to the European Parliament to be held on 9 June 2024, ERR reports. Registration of candidates will begin on 10 April 2024 and early voting on 3 June 2024. Parties can nominate up to nine candidates each. Altogether 912,000 voters in Estonia are registered for the elections, ERR…
