Only 4% of multi-apartment houses in need of renovation in Latvia have been renovated, according to the State Audit Office (LRVK), LSM reports. Latvia has over 39,500 multi-apartment houses, of which at least 26,600 need renovation. Martins Abolins, member of LRVK’s council, noted that more than half of all multi-apartment houses in the country were…
Latvia’s SmartLynx Airlines has filed for insolvency, LETA reports. CEO Edvinas Demenius explained that SmartLynx had intended to implement a restructuring plan by 15 December 2025. However, “false and misleading information from various stakeholders” had led to the loss of aircraft and customer contracts, he said. SmartLynx has liabilities totalling around EUR 238mn, of which EUR…
Latvia’s current coalition government has a 52-vote majority in the parliament, the Saeima, Prime Minister Evika Silina stated, pointing to the parliament’s approval of the 2026 state budget, LETA reports. Speaking in an interview with TV3, Silina noted that none of the coalition parties had expressed no-confidence in each other and no minister had needed to…
An influenza epidemic has begun in Latvia, the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (SPKC) announced on 8 December 2025, LETA reports. According to data from the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory (NMRL), the share of positive samples for influenza has risen sharply to 18.1%, which exceeds the epidemic threshold of 10%. SPKC reminded that vaccination…
The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, will begin work on legislation to improve consumer protection against financial fraud, Anda Caksa, chairwoman of the parliament’s budget and finance committee, announced, LETA reports. Speaking after a meeting with representatives of the Finance Latvia Association (FNA), Caksa said that legislative changes were needed so as to require mobile operators…
The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, has approved amendments to introduce a reduced 12% value-added tax rate on selected basic food products in 2026, LETA reports. Under the amendments, the lower VAT rate will apply to various bread products, milk, poultry meat, and eggs. The reduced VAT will apply from 1 July 2026 to 30 June…
The three Baltic States have joined Finland, Ireland, Poland, and Sweden in urging the EU to use frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine, LETA reports. The seven member states sent a joint letter to European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa to express support for the EC’s proposal…
French risk management company Coface’s ranking of the 50 largest companies by turnover in the Baltic States in 2024 includes 28 companies in Lithuania, 15 in Estonia, and 7 in Latvia, LETA reports. The top five companies are all from Lithuania: retail holding group Vilniaus Prekyba with a consolidated turnover of EUR 8.02bn in 2024,…
The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, has approved in final reading the state budget for 2026, LSM reports. Altogether 52 MPs voted for and 42 against the budget bill. This is the current coalition government’s third budget. The government foresees annual revenues of EUR 16.1bn, which would be EUR 944.6mn more than in 2025. Budget expenditures…