Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics has officially nominated Andris Kulbergs, leader of the United List, for prime minister, LSM reports. Earlier, Kulbergs began talks with parliamentary parties on forming a new coalition government. Both Rinkevics and Kulbergs hoped that a new government could be formed by Latvia’s independence day, which is 18 November 2026. Kulbergs did…
Estonia’s most popular party combination for the country’s next government is a coalition of the opposition Fatherland and Estonian Centre Party, according to a new Norstat poll for the Institute of Societal Studies, ERR reports. The survey showed that 29% of respondents would prefer a coalition government of Fatherland and the Centre Party, followed by…
Lithuania’s State Defence Council has decided to introduce universal military conscription in 2032, President Gitanas Nauseda announced, BNS reports. Universal conscription will apply to men ages 18 to 22 years, replacing the current selective draft. Women will still be able to volunteer for military service. Nauseda said that about 7,500 young men would be drafted…
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs has begun official talks on forming a new government by meeting with leaders of his United List alliance and its current coalition partners, the National Alliance and New Unity, LETA reports. Kulbergs said that the parties had reached a consensus on improving public administration, reviewing ministry functions, and putting public…
The international credit rating agency, Fitch Ratings, has affirmed Lithuania’s long-term foreign-currency issuer default rating at A+ with a stable outlook, the Finance Ministry announced, BNS reports. The agency pointed to Lithuania’s credible policy framework, EU and eurozone membership, resilient economic growth, moderate government debt, and high institutional quality. Risks were related to the current…
Baltic and Polish leaders urged the EU to allocate necessary funding for the Rail Baltica railway project under the EU’s multiannual financial framework in 2028-2034, the Office of the President of Lithuania reported. In a joint letter to European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the leaders reaffirmed the…
The Lithuanian government has introduced a 50% discount on domestic train tickets and will introduce a similar discount on intercity bus fares until the end of 2026, BNS reports. The purpose is to encourage the use of public transport amid the rise in fuel prices. Transport Minister Juras Taminskas said that the additional discount would…
Latvia’s state budget for 2027 will implement a policy of austerity, control, and reform, Finance Minister Maris Kucinskis announced, LSM reports. Speaking in an interview with Latvijas Radio, Kucinskis said that the government would freeze budget spending and public sector wages. At the same time, the government did not intend to raise taxes in 2027,…
Several public institutions and agencies in the Baltic States took their websites offline on 21 October 2026 due to global critical security vulnerabilities in PHP-based applications. In Estonia, the Ministry of Education and Science shut down access to the online learning platform, Moodle, temporarily, ERR reported. Also, the National Archives of Estonia closed or limited…
