The municipal government of the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, plans to expand the city’s public transport network by 30% by 2030, LRT reports. The city intends to add 7 new routes, increase frequency on 44 routes, and adjust another 46 routes. However, the current bus and trolleybus network is nearing its physical limit, and the city…
Around 63,000 children will start kindergarten in Estonia in 2026, which is down from just under 67,000 in 2025, according to the Ministry of Education, ERR reports. The number of children in kindergarten has gone down across the country due to falling birth rates, which has made it easier for parents to place their children…
The mayor of the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, Valdas Benkunskas, has launched a signature campaign for legislation that would oblige foreigners living temporarily in the country to learn Lithuanian, BNS reports. Under the mayor’s proposal, non-EU nationals would have to show proof of at least A2-level proficiency in Lithuanian when renewing their temporary residence permits after…
Poverty in Lithuania has increased across the country, particularly in remote regions, LRT reports. Nearly 700,000 people are living below the poverty risk threshold. The average poverty level in rural areas is almost twice as high as in cities. In some municipalities, every third resident is living in poverty. Ugne Uzgale, head of strategy and…
The municipal government of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, will draw up a new citywide development plan, ERR reports. The previous plan was completed in 2001. In the next 25 years, Tallinn did urban planning by city district. The new plan will focus on developing urban space, including transport networks, educational institution networks, and district centres. Tallinn’s…
Every tenth resident of the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, is a foreign national, according to the city’s mayor, Valdas Benkunskas, ELTA reports. Vilnius has altogether around 76,000 foreign residents, of whom 61,000 (80%) are non-EU citizens, BNS reported. Around 40,000 of the foreigners, mostly from Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine, have temporary residence permits. The mayor warned…
All but two Latvian mayors have been granted access to state secrets as required by law, LETA reports. The State Security Service (VDD) has refused security clearances to Aleksandrs Bartasevics, chairman of the Rezekne city council, and Gatis Truksnis, former mayor of Jurmala. VDD is still reviewing the security clearances of five deputy chairs of…
Estonian capital Tallinn’s city council has approved the city budget for 2026, ERR reports. Total revenues are planned at EUR 1.2bn, including EUR 781.2mn from personal income tax, EUR 188.3mn in state and other grants, EUR 112.4mn from the sale of goods and services, EUR 36.4mn from land tax, and EUR 9.5mn from external funding….
Lithuania’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Arunas Jagminas, has resigned amid an investigation into possible corruption, BNS reports. Lithuania’s Special Investigation Service (STT) suspects Jagminas of abusing his office to embezzle high-value property in his role as director of a construction company in Silute, BNS reports. In addition, the corruption probe has implicated the director of…