Lithuania: President Nauseda remains most popular politician: poll

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),…

Read Full News

Estonia: Large group of MPs to visit Taiwan

Members of the Estonia-Taiwan Support Group of the Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, will visit Taiwan on 4-8 March 2024, ERR reports. The largest ever Estonian delegation to Taiwan, the MPs will meet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, parliamentary speaker Han Kuo-yu, Prime Minister Chen Chien-jen, and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, as well as representatives of…

Read Full News

Estonia: Parties received over EUR 5mn from private donors in 2023

Estonian political parties received more than EUR 4.9mn in private donations in 2023, according to data from the Political Parties Financing Surveillance Committee (ERJK), ERR reported. The total does not include donations made to the Conservative People’s Party of Estonia (EKRE) in the fourth quarter of 2023, however. The opposition Fatherland (Isamaa) party received altogether…

Read Full News

Estonia: Jüri Ratas quits Estonian Centre Party, joins Fatherland

The deputy speaker of the Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, former prime minister Jüri Ratas, announced that he has quit the Estonian Centre Party (Keskerakond) and joined the Fatherland (Isamaa) party, ERR reports. He said that the values of the Centre Party’s leadership no longer coincided with his own. Ratas was replaced as party chairman by…

Read Full News

Estonia: Opposition parties end obstruction in parliament for now

Estonia’s opposition Fatherland (Isamaa) party and Estonian Centre Party (Keskerakond) have decided to end their filibustering in the parliament, the Riigikogu, for now, ERR reports. The two parties withdrew their numerous submitted amendments, saying that they were against obstructing parliamentary work. The opposition’s filibustering practically halted the Riigikogu’s spring and autumn sessions in 2023. In…

Read Full News

Estonia: Coalition parties to discuss future direction

Estonia’s three-party ruling coalition will meet on 30 January 2024 to discuss the state of the coalition, according to Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, chairman of Estonia 200 (E200), ERR reports. Tsahkna said that E200 would propose ways to revitalise the economy, including measures to reform education, ensure labour and capital availability, and stabilise energy prices…

Read Full News

Latvia: No referendum against same-sex civil partnership law

There will be no referendum against same-sex civil partnership in Latvia, LSM reports. A campaign to hold a popular referendum to suspend the publication of the new partnership law collected just some 15% of the around 155,000 signatures needed. The campaign, which was supported by the opposition United List, National Alliance, Latvia First, and For…

Read Full News

Latvia: Foreign Minister eyes role as NATO chief or EU Commissioner

Latvia’s Foreign Minister, former prime minister Krisjanis Karins, would like to become a European Commissioner if he fails to win the race for the post of Secretary General of NATO, LETA reports. Latvia’s ruling New Unity party has yet to decide whether to name Karins or Latvia’s current EU commissioner, Valdis Dombrovskis, to top the…

Read Full News