Lithuanian mobile operators criticised the government’s plan to introduce mandatory registration of prepaid SIM cards as of 2024, LRT reports. The government argues that mandatory registration is necessary due to phone fraud and other criminal activity. Vytautas Bucinskas, head of business assurance at Telia Lietuva, pointed out that prepaid SIM cards were often used by…
More than 50,000 people in Estonia have signed a public petition against the introduction of a car tax, BNS reports. The petition is thus the most successful public petition to date in Estonia. The petition is open until 31 August 2023. Priit Tammeraid, board chairman of the Estonian Car Owners Association (EAOL), said that the…
Latvia’s New Unity party has nominated Welfare Minister Evika Silina as the party’s candidate for prime minister, LSM reports. She would replace New Unity leader Krisjanis Karins, who announced his resignation on 14 August 2023. Silina said that she would begin informal negotiations with political parties on the formation of a coalition government quickly. She…
Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins announced that he intended to resign, LSM reports. He said that he would inform President Edgars Rinkevics about the resignation on 17 August 2023. Karins said that he would not head the next government and called on his New Unity party to nominate a new candidate for prime minister. Earlier,…
Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity) announced his intention to end the current government coalition and form a new one, LSM reports. He said that New Unity’s current coalition partners, the National Alliance and the United List, had rejected his proposals for a ministerial reshuffle and revised policy priorities. Karins said that he would…
The state budget control select committee of Estonia’s parliament, the Riigikogu, held an extraordinary session on 8 August 2023 to discuss a controversy over alleged “horse trading” by the Office of the President, ERR reports. Earlier, presidential adviser Toomas Sildam had an informal discussion with Merike Saks, secretary general of the Ministry of Finance, in…
Latvia’s Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity) has proposed a reshuffle of key ministerial posts in his three-party coalition government, LETA reports. Karins proposed that National Alliance MP Rihards Kols become foreign minister and that the United List take over the Ministry of Economy and New Unity the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development….
One person died and eight were injured during a severe thunderstorm in Latvia on 7 August 2023, LETA reports. Wind speeds reached up to 33 m/s in areas. The Emergency Medical Service (NMPD) had to provide assistance to people who were injured by falling trees and heavy hail. The storm and lightning caused major damage…
Estonian media reported that the Office of the President has made the promulgation of legislation passed by the parliament, the Riigikogu, contingent on the government agreeing to allocate additional funding, ERR reports. An anonymous minister told Postimees that Peep Jahilo, head of the Office of the President, requested an additional EUR 360,000 of funding from government…