Latvian MEP Roberts Zile has been reelected one of the 14 vice-presidents of the European Parliament, LSM reports. He is the only Baltic MEP elected to the post so far. Zile is a member of the opposition National Alliance, which is a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists group. He has served as MEP…
Latvian MEP Vilis Kristopans of the opposition Latvia First (LPV) party will join the far-right Patriots for Europe group in the European Parliament, LETA reports. The group includes many members who are sympathetic towards Russia. Kristopans expects that the number of members in the group will continue to grow. Kristopans served as prime minister of…
Lithuania’s opposition Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVZS) and Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) could form a two-party coalition government after the parliamentary elections in October 2024, LVZS chairman Ramunas Karbauskis stated, ELTA reports. Speaking in an interview with Ziniu Radijas, Karbauskis said that the two parties could have a stable majority in parliament. However,…
Lithuanian MEP-elect Virginijus Sinkevicius has been elected as one of the six vice chairpersons of the Greens/European Free Alliance group in the European Parliament, BNS reports. Sinkevicius served as the European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries in the outgoing European Commission. He is a member of the opposition Union of Democrats for Lithuania…
Lithuanian MEP Waldemar Tomaszewski has taken legal action at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against Lithuanian authorities for discontinuing an investigation into derogatory comments made by TV presenter Arunas Valinskas, ELTA reports. Valinskas had called Tomaszewski, who leads the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania (LLRA), a “Colorado potato beetle” and suggested that…
Estonian MEP Jaak Madison has joined the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) in the European Parliament, ERR reports. Earlier, Madison left the far-right opposition party, Conservative People’s Party of Estonia (EKRE), which is part of the Identity and Democracy (ID) group in the EU parliament. Madison said that French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and…
Lithuanian MEP Viktor Uspaskich has returned to the Labour Party as its interim chairman, BNS reports. Uspaskich was reinstated following the resignation of MP Valentinas Bukauskas and after the opposition party’s poor performance in recent presidential and European Parliament elections. The Labour Party’s council has formed a group to negotiate potential coalitions for the upcoming…
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda remains the country’s most popular politician, according to a Vilmorus poll for Lietuvos Rytas in February 2024, BNS reports. Nauseda’s favourable rating stood at 66%, which was down from 68.3% in December 2023. His unfavourable rating was 15.1% (13.5%). MEP Vilija Blinkeviciute, chairwoman of the opposition Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP),…
Estonia’s President, Alar Karis, has declared elections to the European Parliament to be held on 9 June 2024, ERR reports. Registration of candidates will begin on 10 April 2024 and early voting on 3 June 2024. Parties can nominate up to nine candidates each. Altogether 912,000 voters in Estonia are registered for the elections, ERR…