Latvian Defence Minister Andris Spruds has stepped down after Prime Minister Evika Silina demanded that he resign, LSM reports. Silina announced that she had lost trust in the minister due to his mishandling of recent incursions of Ukrainian drones and the broader situation in the defence sector, LETA reported. Silina said that her adviser, Colonel…
Latvia has received the fourth or penultimate payment of EUR 371.2mn from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility, LSM reports. The European Commission approved the successful implementation of 41 specific reforms and investments set out in Latvia’s national recovery plan. Latvia has already received almost EUR 1.5bn (75%) of the total EUR 1.97bn recovery funds…
The number of multinational corporations in the Baltic States was highest in Estonia in 2024, according to Eurostat data, LSM reports. Estonia had 1,199 multinationals in 2024, which was down slightly from 1,220 in 2023. Meanwhile, Lithuania had 984 (1,035) and Latvia 746 (718) multinational enterprises. In 2018, Estonia had as many as 1,529 multinationals,…
Latvia’s Central Election Commission (CVK) has registered a signature campaign for holding a referendum on changing the country’s state-funded pension system, LSM reports. The populist opposition party, Latvia First (LPV), initiated the referendum campaign after the Latvian parliament, the Saeima, rejected the party’s legislative proposal. The referendum campaign is very unlikely to succeed, however. Under…
Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina sharply criticised Defence Minister Andris Spruds after drones from Russia crashed in Latvian territory, LETA reported. Silina pointed to the lack of timely warning to local residents about the incoming drones. The government’s EUR 2bn defence budget means that people will expect accountability from the minister, she stated. Silina said…
Latvia’s industrial production output increased by 9.2% in the first quarter of 2026, compared to the same period of 2025, according to the Central Statistical Bureau’s (CSP) calendar-adjusted data at constant prices, LSM reported. Output rose by 1.0% in manufacturing and by 40.6% in electricity and gas supply, but fell by 30.7% in mining and…
The prison population per capita in the Baltic States is the highest in Latvia, according to Eurostat data, LSM reports. Latvia had 187 prisoners per 100,000 people in 2024, which was up 8% from 173 in 2023. The figure was the third-highest in the entire EU. Lithuania’s prison population stood at 155 (159) and Estonia’s…
Several unmanned aerial vehicles entered Latvian airspace from Russia, and two of them crashed in eastern Latvia, in the early morning hours of 7 May 2026, according to the Latvian National Armed Forces (NBS), LETA reported. One of the drones crashed at East-West Transit’s oil storage facility in Rezekne, LETA reported. No significant damage and…
Latvia’s Competition Council concluded seven high-priority cases on violations of and non-compliance with competition law in 2025, LSM reports. Total fines issued in the cases amounted to EUR 2.5mn, according to the council’s annual report. The public benefit increased by around 25% over a year, the Competition Council estimated. The biggest sanctions included a EUR…
