The Lithuanian Armed Forces (LGP) remain the country’s most trusted institution, according to a new Baltijos Tyrimai poll for LRT. The survey showed that 76% of respondents had confidence in LGP in June 2023. Another 71% trust the police, followed by the Catholic church with 66%, the president with 66%, the State Social Insurance Fund…
The Conservative People’s Party of Estonia (EKRE) has no intention to make any concessions and will continue to obstruct the current coalition government’s work in the parliament, the Riigikogu, in autumn 2023, EKRE chairman Martin Helme stated, ERR reports. Earlier, the coalition suggested that opposition parties withdraw questions and legislative proposals so as not to…
Latvia’s President Edgars Rinkevics said that he had a plan if the current coalition government fails to agree on continued cooperation by the end of August 2023, LETA reports. He refused to reveal the plan, saying that he would leave it as “a potential surprise for when the time comes.” Rinkevics urged political parties taking…
Estonia’s state budget deficit is likely to be smaller than forecast in 2023, the Ministry of Finance announced, ERR reports. In the first five months of 2023, budget revenues increased more than expected due to the rapid growth of wages and rise in prices. Tax revenue was 10% higher than a year earlier. At the…
Estonia’s Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas, suggested that local businessman Parvel Pruunsild, majority owner of Bigbank, made major donations to opposition parties in order to break up the first coalition government that Kallas headed, ERR reports. In response, Pruunsild’s lawyer sent a letter to Kallas, demanding that she retract her statement and issue an apology. Kallas…
The Latvian government has postponed reviewing Welfare Minister Evika Silina’s (New Unity) proposed draft bill on the ratification of the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention on violence against women and domestic violence, LETA reports. One of the parties in the coalition government, United List, wanted to introduce additions to the draft bill. United List’s parliamentary…
The Estonian government wants to bring forward Estonia’s EU presidency, now slated for 2031, BNS reports. The government argues that organising the EU presidency would be difficult as Estonia will hold parliamentary elections that year. Estonia is due to preside over the EU Council for the first half of 2031. The government suggests switching the…
The Estonian government has announced an emergency situation in the country’s agriculture sector due to adverse weather conditions in recent years, ERR reports. The declaration will ease regulatory and contractual obligations for farmers and other agricultural businesses, but will not entail financial support measures. Estonia has experienced exceptionally low rainfall and high temperatures in recent…
Latvia’s new president, Edgars Rinkevics, is “more people-oriented” than his predecessor, Egils Levits, Juris Rozenvalds, head of the Social and Political Studies Institute at the University of Latvia, said, LETA reports. Rozenvalds pointed out that Rinkevics had a sense of humour and was not as “preachy” as Levits. He noted that Rinkevics is popular among…