Estonia’s most popular choice for prime minister is Urmas Reinsalu, chairman of the national-conservative opposition party, Fatherland, according to a new Norstat poll for the Institute for Societal Research (YI), ERR reports. In the survey, 27% of respondents preferred Reinsalu for prime minister in June 2026, followed by Mihhail Kõlvart, chairman of the opposition Estonian…
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recommended that the Estonian government stabilise public debt by limiting budget spending and increasing revenue, ERR reports. IMF experts warned that if current policies continued, public debt would become unsustainable. GDP growth alone will not solve the country’s long-term challenges, they pointed out. Achieving more sustainable growth would require increasing…
Two thirds of Estonian voters disapprove of the government’s performance, according to a new Norstat poll in May 2026, ERR reports. In the survey, 67% of respondents said that the government was performing poorly, while 27% found that the government was doing its job well. The government’s approval rating was unchanged from April 2026. Support…
Estonia’s Finance Minister, Jürgen Ligi, vowed to defend budget discipline and push back against populist spending proposals ahead of the parliamentary elections in March 2027, ERR reported. Ligi said that the country’s political culture had deteriorated badly, and acknowledged that populism had crept into his own Estonian Reform Party as well. He insisted on the…
Latvia’s prime minister nominee, MP Andris Kulbergs of the opposition party alliance, United List, has announced the composition of his incoming four-party coalition government, LSM reports. The Kulbergs cabinet would have 14 male and just 2 female ministers. The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, will vote on approving the government on 28 May 2026. Besides Kulbergs…
Four political groups in Latvia have agreed on the programme of a new coalition government and the distribution of ministerial portfolios, LSM reports. The United List’s MP, Andris Kulbergs, will serve as prime minister, and the party alliance will also hold the posts of ministers of finance, justice, and regional development. Outgoing Prime Minister Evika…
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….
Lithuania’s Finance Minister, Kristupas Vaitiekunas, urged the EU to pursue negotiations and prepare retaliatory measures after US President Donald Trump again threatened to raise tariffs, BNS reports. He predicted that the EU would be “in this game” through Trump’s entire term in office. “This process involving tariffs, negotiations, and pressure from both sides will be…
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…