The Georgian diaspora in Estonia held a protest outside the Georgian embassy in Tallinn on 2 December 2024, ERR reports. The demonstrators protested against the Georgian government’s anti-Western policies and disinformation campaigns, suspension of the country’s EU accession process, violent repression of peaceful protests, fraudulent elections, and undemocratic laws. The local diaspora organisation, Georgian House…
The finance committee of the Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, has decided to cancel an additional 5% increase in the excise tax on alcohol that was planned for July 2025, ERR reports. Committee chairwoman Annely Akkermann said that the tax hike would have led to increased cross-border trade and grey market sales, thus reducing state budget…
The congress of Lithuania’s liberal Freedom Party has elected former MP Tomas Vytautas Raskevicius as the party’s new chairman, BNS reports. Raskevicius replaces Ausrine Armonaite, who resigned after the party failed to win any seats in the recent elections to the Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas. Raskevicius chaired the parliament’s human rights committee in 2020-2024. Freedom…
The Latvian government will invest an additional EUR 47mn in the state-owned railway company, Latvijas Dzelzcels (LDz), LSM reports. The capital will allow the company to pay all its tax debts and some outstanding bills for services. The state has invested EUR 95.6mn in LDz since 2020 to prop up the company’s finances. LDz has…
The three Baltic states have agreed to impose national sanctions against those who suppressed legitimate protests in Georgia, Civil Georgia reports. In their joint statement, the Baltic foreign ministers said that “opponents of democracy and violators of human rights are not welcome in our countries.” Meanwhile, all three Baltic presidents phoned their Georgian counterpart, Salome…
The leader of Lithuania’s far-right Dawn of Nemunas party, Remigijus Zemaitaitis, announced that his party was likely to nominate Virginijus Kulikauskas, former head of the Lithuanian Prison Service, to the position of justice minister, ELTA reports. Earlier, former justice minister, lawyer Gintautas Bartkus declined the party’s nomination to the ministerial post. Meanwhile, President Gitanas Nauseda…
Two of the biggest groups in the European Parliament, the European People’s Party (EPP) and Renew Europe, have urged the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) and the Union of Democrats for Lithuania (DSVL) to exclude the far-right Dawn of Nemunas party from their incoming coalition government, LRT reports. EPP and Renew Europe warned that granting…
Georgia’s ambassador to Lithuania, Salome Shapakidze, has resigned, Georgian TV channel Rustavi 2 reports. In her announcement, she stressed that Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity went hand in hand with the country’s bid to join the EU and the Euro-Atlantic community. “Georgia is Europe!”, Shapakidze concluded. Her move follows the resignations of several ambassadors after…
Estonian President Alar Karis has expressed support for the Georgian people amid massive anti-government demonstrations across the country, ERR reports. Karis phoned Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, wishing her strength. Karis insisted that the Georgian government did not have a mandate to halt the aspiration of the majority of Georgians to join the EU. Also, he…