The Estonian Reform Party will appoint MP Jürgen Ligi as the new finance minister in the incoming three-party coalition government, outgoing Finance Minister Mart Võrklaev announced, ERR reports. Ligi served as defence minister in 2005-2007 and finance minister in 2009-2014. He has also served as foreign minister and education minister. Moreover, Võrklaev said that Reform…
Estonia’s ruling parties have agreed that the Social Democratic Party (SDE) will gain an additional ministerial portfolio in the new three-party coalition, Health Minister Riina Sikkut of SDE announced, ERR reports. At the moment, the Estonian Reform Party has five ministers and the post of prime minister, while SDE and Estonia 200 (E200) have three…
Lithuania’s EU commissioner, Virginijus Sinkevicius, will step down, having been elected to the European Parliament, BNS reports. He served as European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries since 2019. Sinkevicius has since been elected vice-president of the Greens/European Free Alliance group in the European Parliament. Saulius Skvernelis, chairman of the opposition Union of Democrats…
The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has confirmed the ruling Homeland Union’s Ingrida Simonyte as prime minister in a vote of confidence, BNS reports. Altogether 69 MPs voted for Simonyte, while 30 voted against and 25 abstained. The prime minister will now have to agree with the president on ministerial appointments. In Lithuania, the government resigns…
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has hinted at the possible replacement of a few government ministers, expressing particular dissatisfaction with the performance of the ministers of health and agriculture, BNS reports. Nauseda has had preliminary discussions with Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte about the possible changes, emphasising the necessity of action despite the approaching parliamentary elections. The…
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has appointed Gintautas Jakstas as the country’s new Minister of Education, Science, and Sport, ELTA reports. Prior to his appointment, Jakstas was Deputy Minister of Education. The previous Education Minister, Jurgita Siugzdiniene, resigned after an expense scandal. Following the resignation, Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska served as acting Minister of Education.
Latvia’s Minister of Agriculture, Didzis Šmits, has finally been given access to official secrets, the Agriculture Ministry announced, LETA reports. The Constitution Protection Bureau (SAB) confirmed that the minister has received a permit to access official secrets. Security agencies took six months to review his application. Šmits was the last minister without access to official…
