Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has suggested that he does not want to see Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis appointed to the European Commission (EC), BNS reports. Nauseda argued that Lithuania should seek an economic portfolio rather than a foreign policy one in the new commission, stressing that economic portfolios were equally important. He pointed out that…
Estonian President Alar Karis has appointed into office a new coalition government headed by Kristen Michal of the Estonian Reform Party, ERR reports. Earlier, the government was overwhelmingly approved by the Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu. The coalition consists of the same three parties as the previous government of Kaja Kallas: Reform, the Social Democratic Party…
Estonia’s three-party coalition of the Estonian Reform Party, Social Democratic Party (SDE), and Estonia 200 has published its new coalition agreement, ERR reports. Under the agreement, the coalition pledges to cut the budget deficit to 3% of GDP in 2025 and 2026, and to reduce it further in 2027. The new government will raise most…
The Estonian Reform Party will appoint MP Jürgen Ligi as the new finance minister in the incoming three-party coalition government, outgoing Finance Minister Mart Võrklaev announced, ERR reports. Ligi served as defence minister in 2005-2007 and finance minister in 2009-2014. He has also served as foreign minister and education minister. Moreover, Võrklaev said that Reform…
Estonia’s ruling parties have agreed that the Social Democratic Party (SDE) will gain an additional ministerial portfolio in the new three-party coalition, Health Minister Riina Sikkut of SDE announced, ERR reports. At the moment, the Estonian Reform Party has five ministers and the post of prime minister, while SDE and Estonia 200 (E200) have three…
Lithuania’s EU commissioner, Virginijus Sinkevicius, will step down, having been elected to the European Parliament, BNS reports. He served as European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries since 2019. Sinkevicius has since been elected vice-president of the Greens/European Free Alliance group in the European Parliament. Saulius Skvernelis, chairman of the opposition Union of Democrats…
The opposition Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP) remains the country’s most popular political party ahead of the parliamentary elections due in October 2024, according to a Spinter Tyrimai poll for DELFI in June 2024, ELTA reports. The survey showed that 13.8% of respondents would now vote for LSDP, which is up from 13.2% in…
Estonia’s three ruling parties are likely to draw up a new coalition agreement by 19 July 2024, the Estonian Reform Party’s candidate for prime minister, Kristen Michal, stated, ERR reports. He said that the three parties had already agreed on the majority of the text in the most important policy areas: competitiveness, growth, public finances,…
The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has confirmed the ruling Homeland Union’s Ingrida Simonyte as prime minister in a vote of confidence, BNS reports. Altogether 69 MPs voted for Simonyte, while 30 voted against and 25 abstained. The prime minister will now have to agree with the president on ministerial appointments. In Lithuania, the government resigns…