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…
Family doctors in Latvia are considering going on strike in autumn 2023, LETA reports. Speaking in an interview with TV3, Ainis Dzalbs, board member of the Latvian Association of Rural Family Physicians (LLGAA), insisted that the lack of budget funding made it impossible to provide proper patient care. He noted that patient queues currently exceeded…
Protesters in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, have asked the government to protect the Kedainiai-based fertiliser producer, Lifosa, from closure, BNS reports. Around 300 protesters took part in a rally outside the government office in central Vilnius on 26 July 2023. Kristina Krupaviciene, chairwoman of the Solidarumas (Solidarity) trade union, said that the goal of the rally…
The Lithuanian government has allocated EUR 276mn from borrowed funds for military mobility and infrastructure projects in 2023, BNS reports. Finance Minister Gintare Skaiste said that the Defence Ministry would invest EUR 148mn and the Ministry of Transport and Communications another EUR 128mn in the first year of the investment programme. Total investments in military…
The Estonian government has postponed the appointment of a special representative for the Ida-Virumaa county, ERR reports. Regional Affairs Minister Madis Kallas now hopes that the special representative will be appointed by the beginning of September 2023. Kallas said that the appointment was delayed due to summer holidays and more pressing political issues. Also, the…
The Lithuanian government has nominated Rasa Jankauskaite as the country’s new ambassador to South Africa, BNS reports. If approved by President Gitanas Nauseda, Jankauskaite will assume office as of 1 September 2023. She said that one of her goals was to agree on visa-free travel for Lithuanian citizens to South Africa, which has a large…