The three Baltic States have imposed entry bans on 11 Georgian officials due to their involvement in suppressing mass protests against the Georgian government’s decision to delay the country’s EU accession talks, Civil Georgia reports. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania urged the EU to levy sanctions on Georgian officials responsible for the violent police crackdown, Devdiscourse…
The EU’s new foreign policy chief, former Estonian prime minister Kaja Kallas, and the President of the European Council, António Costa, are visiting Kyiv to show support for Ukraine on their first day in office, ERR reports. Kallas stressed that the situation in Ukraine was “very, very serious.” She acknowledged that it was becoming increasingly…
The president of the European Commission (EC), Ursula von der Leyen, has presented her list of candidates for EU commissioners, ERR reports. Estonia’s former prime minister, Kaja Kallas, was named as candidate for EU’s foreign policy chief earlier. If confirmed by the European Parliament, she will be one of six EC vice-presidents. Meanwhile, von der…
The Estonian Reform Party’s general assembly has elected Prime Minister Kristen Michal as the party’s new chairman, replacing former prime minister Kaja Kallas, ERR reports. Michal received 664 out of 818 votes. In his acceptance speech, Michal said that Reform’s mission was “a self-reliant people, the growth of prosperity and a strong middle class, security…
Long-time Estonian MP, former prime minister Siim Kallas will step down from the parliament, the Riigikogu, ERR reports. Timo Suslov, secretary general of the Estonian Reform Party, said that Kallas, 75, was stepping down due to health reasons. His seat in the Riigikogu will now be taken up by Reform’s Jüri Jaanson. Kallas said 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…
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has submitted her resignation to President Alar Karis, ERR reports. Kallas will also resign from her post as chairperson of the Estonian Reform Party. Earlier, she was nominated as the EU’s foreign policy chief. Kallas will remain acting head of the government until the new coalition is sworn into office, which…
Estonia’s primary goals at the NATO summit in Washington include increasing defence spending, closing capability gaps, and maintaining a focus on the threat from Russia, ERR reports. Estonia is pushing for investments in critical defence capabilities such as air defence and ammunition. Estonia supports raising the defence spending target to 2.5-3% of GDP. Additionally, Estonia…
Estonia’s ruling Estonian Reform Party, Social Democratic Party (SDE), and Estonia 200 (E200) have started negotiations on forming a new coalition, ERR reports. The three parties hope to reach an agreement by the end of July 2024. The parties form outgoing Prime Minister Kaja Kallas’s coalition government. The new coalition would be led by Reform’s…