Lithuania plans to call up reserve troops up to the age of 60 for training in response to the deteriorating regional security situation, BNS reports. The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has given initial approval for the initiative. The plan includes calling up around 80,000 reserve troops who served more than ten years ago. These individuals…
In his New Year address, Lauri Hussar, speaker of the Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, outlined key challenges for Estonia in 2024, ERR reports. He emphasised the importance of transitioning to Estonian as the sole language of tuition in schools, viewing it as vital to preserving the country’s language and culture. Hussar urged unity in recognising…
Same-sex marriage is now legal under Estonian law as of 1 January 2024, ERR reports. The law allows two consenting adults to marry irrespective of their gender. Minister of Social Protection Signe Riisalo said that the law ensured equal rights, ending years of legal uncertainty. Same-sex couples, previously able to register civil partnerships, now enjoy…
Latvian businesses urge the government to ease the rules on the entry of foreign labour into the country, LSM reports. Speaking at a conference on human capital development in the Latvian parliament, the Saeima, business representatives and market analysts noted that Latvia’s human resources were exhausted. They called for improving labour availability through relaxed rules…
Estonia’s President Alar Karis and Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna strongly condemned attacks by the Palestinian terrorist organisation, Hamas, against Israel, ERR reported. Tsahkna stated that Estonia stood in solidarity with Israel, which had a full right to defend itself and its people. Meanwhile, Marko Mihkelson, chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the Estonian parliament,…
Latvia’s Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS), which is part of the country’s current coalition government, will continue to cooperate with former Ventspils mayor Aivars Lembergs despite him having been sentenced to prison for corruption, LSM reports. Harijs Rokpelnis, chairman of the ZZS parliamentary group, pointed out that the court verdict had not entered into…
Estonia’s parliament, the Riigikogu, has voted against forming a committee to investigate the Russian business interests of Prime Minister Kaja Kallas’s husband, ERR reports. Altogether 55 MPs voted against and 16 in favour of setting up the committee. Earlier, the parliament’s constitutional committee rejected the idea of a special committee, which would have been able…
Estonia’s Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas, has submitted the draft state budget for 2024 to the parliament, the Riigikogu, for debate, ERR reports. Budget revenues will amount to EUR 16.79bn, expenses to EUR 17.67bn, and investments to EUR 0.82bn. The budget deficit is estimated at EUR 1.19bn or 2.8% of GDP, and the government therefore plans…
Regional branches of Lithuania’s ruling Homeland Union (TS-LKD) have proposed their preferred candidates for president in the upcoming elections in May 2024, BNS reports. Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte was the favourite with 66 nominations, followed by Foreign Minister and TS-LKD chairman Gabrielius Landsbergis with 64 and Labour and Social Security Minister Monika Navickiene with 62….